Royal Flush
by Yamadori
Summary: BDA, AS. Shu, one of the best and brightest of the Resistance army, is given the task of guarding Heliwood's casino in order to help pay off a debt that Legolas owes. But when he meets a girl working there, things will never be the same for him.
1. Chapter One

**Title:** Royal Flush  
><strong>Fandom:<strong> Blue Dragon (Anime)  
><strong>Full Summary:<strong> Alternate Storyline. Led by General Rogi, Rosenkreuz is forcing the world under its heel, and the Resistance is the only hope in sight. However, when the army arrives in the city of Heliwood, their leader Legolas gambles away the Resistance's funds and becomes indebted to the mayor. Most of the army is forced to work to pay off the debt, each of them being given a different job to meet the demand. Shu, a twelve-year-old boy from Talta who is one of the best and brightest of the Resistance army, is given the task of guarding Heliwood's casino. But when he meets a girl working there, things will never be the same for him.  
><strong>Genre(s):<strong> Romance, Action/Adventure, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Fantasy, Humor, Friendship, Drama  
><strong>Characters:<strong> Shu, Bouquet, Kluke, Jiro, Zola, Marumaro, Noi, Sergey Andropov, Primula, Dragnov, Rogi, Rudolf, Rottares, Michael, Hildegard, Fagino, Legolas, Konrad L. Lorentz, Cleese, Daner, Matilda, Schneider, Cynthia, Gilliam, Lemaire, Tarkovsky, Vermillion, Furioso, Szabo, Delphinium, Deathroy, Homeron, Xi, Fushira (Minor OCs included, as well as only-mentioned main characters; others not mentioned to avoid spoilers)  
><strong>Pairings:<strong> Shu x Bouquet, Jiro x Kluke, Andropov x Kluke, mild Shu x Kluke, Lemaire x Cynthia, mild Jiro x Zola, Rogi x Zola / _**Platonic Pairings:**_ Dragnov/Shu, Marumaro/Noi, Kluke/Bouquet, Jiro/Shu, Schneider/Andropov  
><strong>Rating:<strong> 14-15 and up (Suggested)  
><strong>Warnings:<strong> Some mild sexual themes, mild to moderate violence, mentions of rape, possible character death  
><strong>Author's Notes: <strong>Almost all information is subject to change. Follows much of Season One's framework plot, with changes - namely, only a few Shadows are present at the story's start (Killer Bat, Berserker, Delphinium's Shadow, and all Shadows used by the members of Rosenkreuz). Has some darker themes than canon in BDA, but still retains some of the series' lightness.

* * *

><p><strong>[November 1st – November 2nd]<strong>

* * *

><p><em>He sees it again, against the backdrop of closed eyelids, this tapestry of sight and sensation. The springtime desert-hot sun, warming his hair, its light reaching over his cheeks to heat his face. The wind blows, and the scent of sand invades his nose, mixing with spices from the marketplace. Even from quite some distance away, he can hear the rush and burble of the river, smoothing over rocks and twisting its way through the village's outlying forests. And the mountains, the mountains, their shadowed stone surfaces so incredibly and wonderfully blue...<em>

"Hey, Taii." The voice is a teasing lilt. Back to the present, where he's in the dark room they stuffed the army members into. Back to reality, where he's lost everything from his old life. "You ready to begin your new life of indentured servitude?"

Shu swats at him, feeling bland satisfaction when his hand connects. "Shut up."

* * *

><p>"Ossan... You idiot." He leans back against the wall, one hand on the hilt of his sheathed sword, the other resting on his hip. Even now, he still can't believe he has to do this.<p>

The Resistance had been making good progress. They were cutting a path through the desert, preparing to flank Rosenkreuz's primary northwestern compound. Then they arrived in Heliwood, and Legolas decided to be an utter fool and get them indebted to an entire city. The remaining regiments of the army have moved on, to set up camp further down the route and hold position, but there's no telling when they'll ever see them again.

_If we get out of here,_ he thinks with no small amount of annoyance, _Legolas is never allowed near a casino again._

Oh well. At least they gave him a job with the potential for some action.

_... I trained for two years just to be a casino bouncer?_ The thought still grates, still chafes, in the worst of ways. He is a soldier! He should be better than this, _doing_ better than this. He knows he still has more to learn, but his skills are still exceptional for his age; he could do more than this. He could be _helping_ people-!

_Fire everywhere- burning, burning, they're dying-_

He shakes his head. Once. Twice.

He is a soldier. And this whining, internal though it may be, is not befitting of him. And it will stop. Right. Now.

A breath out, taking the tension with it. This is his mission. He will carry it out. He won't fail.

The irritation still needles at the back of his mind, but he allows it. As long as it doesn't interfere, it won't matter.

He is Lieutenant-Commander Shu Shiomizu, and he will not fail.

* * *

><p>Around six o'clock at night, a large, hulking man emerges from the casino and jerks his thumb towards the now-open doorway. "Inside shift. Get moving."<p>

_Just when all of the people pour in and there's more opportunity for trouble, right? Thanks._

He isn't sure if that thought is scathingly sarcastic or honestly genuine. Doesn't matter, anyway - the end result is the same.

Shu nods, entering without comment or complaint.

* * *

><p>The interior of the casino is a gaudy affair, adorned with bright colors and big lights. Just the thing to entice people into losing their money.<p>

_Well... That, and the bunny girls._

They're _everywhere_. Some are dealers, others receptionists or waitresses... Any job the casino has seems to be filled by a good portion of these girls in outfits that are nothing more than red high heels, fishnet stockings, a red sort-of bathing suit (most bathing suits aren't made of leather, after all, or whatever that material is), and a headband sporting bunny ears. Obviously, they're here to attract the men. Had Hayate gotten Shu's job, he would have been in heaven right about now. (And probably wouldn't have gotten past the first day without being fired. It's not even a joke - it's just plain fact.)

Shu scrunches his nose, finding the whole affair disagreeable. Even if he were a gambling a man (which he isn't - he is neither a gambler nor a grown man), the decorations are far too showy for his tastes.

To make matters worse, there have been rumors circulating that Legolas wound up with the role of a... bunny girl. (...Bunny man?) If his luck hadn't been so horrid lately (two-years-lately), Shu would dare to hope that he won't find out.

Besides, no news is good news, right?

"Excuse me." The feminine, youthful voice is different, urgent, yet despite the softness, somehow Shu hears it over everything else. Something about that voice calls to him, and it has nothing to do with the lilt of panic it holds. "Please, sir, don't..."

Suddenly, the words register. He hurries in the direction of the voice, cursing his own stupidity. He can't afford to slack off, even unintentionally. Shu's job as casino guard/bouncer is one of the highest paying of the services the army members have been forced into; the future of the Resistance - the future of the world's freedom - rests with his success.

Even so, upon reaching the table at the voice's source, Shu still freezes.

The first thing he notices are her eyes, glimmering like amethysts, brighter than any of the garish lights the casino displays. For an eternal second, he is trapped in that gaze.

The few following seconds are spent examining her. Her hair, black and silky-looking, is tied into twin pigtails with red hair ties. Another bunny girl, though - she's wearing the same "uniform" as the rest of them. She's young - she has to be the same age as Shu himself, if she's a day. _So young, yet stuck with a job like this._ Something inside him twinges in sympathy. Shu tries to shove down the feeling, but it hangs over him like a too-big cloak, casting shadows and making itself known.

The girl reaches towards someone, a middling customer who's leering at her in a way that is very far from innocent. The man must be at least _three_ times her age. Shu's stomach twists in disgust; he almost wishes the lecher would do something just so Shu could have the permission and satisfaction of beating him into the ground. "Please, sir," her voice is high and small, nearly swallowed up by the buoyantly noisy crowd. "I- I'm not supposed to talk with anyone but casino staff. I could lose my job."

The thirty-something lets out a sharp bark of laughter. "I'm the paying customer, and it's your job to serve me, isn't it? Why don't you be a little more gracious?" He reaches out, runs a hand along her arm; the girl stiffens, her expression briefly flashing with horror. Shu has to hold himself back, and the tension it causes makes his entire body tremble with the effort involved.

And then Shu spots the man slip a chip off another's pile.

He allows himself a quick, predatory grin. _Fool._

"Stop right there!_!_" Shu kicks off, leaps into the air, flipping over once before landing directly in the center of the poker table; the chips rattle, and the dealer's cards slip out of order. The other gamblers - particularly a woman weighed down with plush scarves and heavy perfume - gasp and shout in astonishment at the display. Shu points at the man in question. "Return what you've stolen at once!" He puts on his best "commander" voice, the same one he uses with new recruits, hopes that it's enough to intimidate. Chances are, it won't be; needling as it is, there are few people - aside from those that have heard of him - that can be forced into action by a twelve year old boy (who is short for his age, self-denial not withstanding).

The man sneers at him. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about." With a quick movement, he grabs the girl's arm and shoves her towards the table, starting to dash in the other direction.

"_Stop_!" Shu straightens to stand, taking a hard step forward to push off again-

-and the table tips forward, sending him right towards the girl.

For a moment, they hang suspended, eyes meeting once more.

And then they collide.

Shu's head is _pounding_. For almost half a minute, he doesn't know where he is or how he ended up this way. (Or why what he's laying on feels so comfortable.)

But then memories flash in-

_-"Come on, sleepyhead! It's time to get up, Shu!"-_

_-"One of the first essentials you must learn. Alertness. It can give you an advantage over an enemy. And it can keep you from losing your head."-_

-and Shu remembers that he's tracking down some loser who thought it'd be cute to steal chips from someone else!

"He's not getting away," Shu growls at nothing and no one. He moves to pull himself up, "When I get my hands on that son of a-"

His senses are met with a girl crying out, and his head is suddenly between a huge pair of breasts. And said breasts are being held. By him.

Shu's eyes go wide, and he spends a moment in horrified silence, trapped there and holding her. He can hear his blood rushing in his ears. He's drowning in enough embarrassment to suffocate him, and his hormones are having a field day. _How...? How did this happen...?_

"P... Please..." She whimpers. Shame floods him, and the hormone part of everything that's flooding through him is quieted. "I-I..."

"Sorry." He pushes himself up - he has to hold on a little harder to do so, and when she cries out that time he fears that one may end up haunting his dreams - until he is completely free from her chest and is able to release his grip. "I'm sorry."

"I... I, um..." She bites her lip, and her face is flushed.

"_Shiomizu_!" Shu winces at the sound of that shout. He knows _that_ voice. His new boss (who would've put any of the Resistance's drill instructors, even the harshest ones, to shame). "What exactly do you think you're doing down there, letting this lowlife walk?_!_"

"Sorry, sir." Shu bites out grudgingly, working himself towards a standing position. "Won't happen again, sir."

"It _better_ not happen again, or it's your head and screw your little band of hooligans. And as for _you_," he gives the man who stole the chip a good shake, "you've got two strikes against you. One more, and you are _out_ of this place for _good_-"

Shu notices with a definite chill that the man isn't even listening to his boss.

The man is leering at the girl again.

He doesn't know what it is that causes him to do it, but Shu walks to stand in front of the girl until she is blocked from the creep's view. The man seems affronted by the move, but is wise enough not to say anything.

The tension passes when Shu's boss drags the man off towards the back exit. He can't help feeling a vague disappointment; beating up someone who deserves it would have been immensely satisfying. _Can't be helped, I guess._

"Thank you."

The words of gratitude snap him out of his longing for an outlet to the rage inside. He stuffs the want as deep as it can go before turning towards the girl. "Thank you," she says it again, her eyes still sparkling like gems. For two seconds, it's hard to breathe; she doesn't notice, and Shu tells himself that he doesn't either. "If it weren't for you... Well, I don't know what would have happened."

"Don't mention it." Shu fights a flush as the memory of being pressed close to her attempts to float to the surface. That he _definitely_ pushes down as far as it will go. "And... Sorry again. About, uh, you know. Before." _Eloquent, eloquent!_ Perhaps he can run outside to throw himself onto the road and the tender mercies of passing wagons. He mentally smacks himself for the thought. _Get a grip, soldier!_

"Oh, don't worry about that," she giggles, waving a dismissive hand. "I-"

"_Shiomizu_!"

_Thanks, Boss. Thank you _so_ much._

It shouldn't bother him so much that he won't get a chance to talk to this girl. He shouldn't get attached anyway. It's for the best.

"I'm sorry. I have to go." He pushes forward, trying to focus on his boss's loud and irritating swears.

(So why does leaving her feel almost physically painful?)

He tries to ignore as she reaches for him, her fingers trying to catch his t-shirt sleeve; tries not to feel how the flesh rises in goosebumps as two fingertips brush against his arm. "Wait- Please, wait-!"

"Sorry. But I can't." Shu moves out of her grasp.

He regrets never finding out her name.

* * *

><p>In the privacy of his own mind, Shu curses his boss with every colorful swear word he knows. Given that he's been in the army for two years, it's a long list.<p>

He usually gets on his own case if he starts whining, as he likes to put it, but Shu is going to give himself this one for free.

_Because, stacking boxes? Really?_

He screwed up. He knows it. He doesn't like it, but Shu can accept it. But this? Oh, yeah, _this_ doesn't even qualify as a punishment.

It's an _insult_!_!_!

_Cut my pay. Make me work overtime. _Anything_. But don't make me into some wannabe errand boy._

Screw this place; Rosenkreuz can _have_ it, and Shu hopes they enjoy every last stinking bit of it! God, the day he can kiss this place goodbye will be the happiest freaking day of his _entire life_!

He shoves another cardboard box up on the shelf. He doesn't know what's inside it, and doesn't particularly care. He doesn't even care if it breaks, right about now. As a matter of fact, Shu almost wishes he could break a few things, just to take out his frustration on _something_.

... He's so full of anger these days.

Ojisan had warned him about it, warned him to stop. Told Shu that it would end up eating him up inside, until there's nothing left.

Shu knows he should stop. He takes everything Ojisan says to heart, and yet...

A bump disturbs his thoughts.

Ordinarily, he would think nothing of it. Shu has been moving around plenty of boxes the past half hour, and chances are one of them or their contents would shift and make noise.

But this sound came from down the hall, where he has yet to go.

He goes still, lets all of his muscles relax, and strains his ears to listen.

Shu hears it again. And this time, it's followed by a fearful whimper. He recognizes that whimper.

Setting down the box he's holding, he creeps down the hallway, back pressed tight to the wall. Alarm bells are ringing loud and clear in his head, and they're telling him that something is very wrong.

He's almost to the back exit when he hears it. The voice of the man who stole the chip - who let his eyes roam over the girl like a perverted touch. "I was going to go easy on you before, but now... Now you'll regret not letting me have my way..."

"Please..." The girl. Her voice is choked, like she's been crying for hours. "Please don't hurt me..."

For a moment, he is filled with nothing but searing rage. But then a cool calm takes its place, boiling everything down to simple facts and precise action.

Shu moves faster than even he would give himself credit for - he crosses the room like a lightning bolt. He has just enough time to view the scene in front of him - the pig has her shoved against the wall, one hand pressed hard into her shoulder blade and the other gripping her rear, and he doesn't even need what he's "learned" (more like shoved down his throat, but who's counting?) from Hayate to figure out where _this_ is going - before he explodes into action and is snatching his sword out of its sheath with a flourish. In a fraction of a minute, the man releases the girl's shoulder and starts to turn, but Shu is already there - and his blade is pressed against the perpetrator's throat.

"You!" The jerk actually has the nerve to accuse Shu, of all people. "You little brat...!"

"Get your hands off her. Now." Shu narrows his eyes. "Or I'll take them off of _you_."

The man, furious, seems to have an internal debate. It doesn't last long; he lets her go. "Happy?" The word is a condescending sneer, even though he's in no position to look down his nose at anyone. Shu knows his type - arrogant and self-obsessed to the core.

"Far from it." His grip tightens on the sword hilt. "A Rosenkreuz captain was good enough to steal this off of a White Brigade Chevalier. And I was good enough to steal it off of him. Would you like a demonstration?" A quick twist of his wrist. The metal flat of his sword flashes - the man's throat has been nicked by the sharp steel edge, blood trailing from the small cut.

"What do you _want_?"

"Come near this girl again, and I will not show you the mercy this weapon's former owner knew." He backs away, enough for the three of them to have some breathing room, keeping the sword's tip against the man's throat. Shu jerks his head towards the back exit. "Now get out of here, and hope I never see you again."

The pervert spends just enough time to glare at him in unrighteous fury, before taking off like the coward Shu knew him to be.

A long moment goes past in silence. Eventually, though, Shu sheathes his sword and asks her, "Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"

"I-I... N-no. I'm fine. But..." Her eyes shine as she stares at him. "You _saved_ me."

Suddenly feeling embarrassed - mostly due to the open adoration on her face - Shu shifts his feet, looking away. "Yeah, well... I couldn't just let him do that to you." He slides his eyes towards her. "What's your name, anyway?" He stamps down on the inner voice _screaming_ not to get attached. He's owed himself a break for a while now, even if it's just a small one.

"I'm Bouquet." She pushes back a rabbit ear, a small smile lifting her lips. "And you?"

"Shu. Well met." _Keep it brief. Don't get interested._ Too late, probably on both counts. Maybe he can still try to extract himself from the situation. "Anyway, I should get going-"

"_Wait_!" Her cry is so _pleading_, so _desperate_, that he finds himself hesitating for a split second. Shu only realizes his mistake when she leans forward and grabs both of his wrists in her hands. He swears at his own stupidity. _You're getting too soft, idiot._ "Please don't go yet! I... I don't know how I could ever repay you. I have to, though. I swear I will! But... Until I find a way to properly thank you, I'll give you something as... as a promise."

She pulls him towards her, leaning towards him, and Shu opens his mouth to protest-

And this girl - _Bouquet_ - kisses him on the cheek.

His breath hitches. His face flushes. And in his throat, all objections die a painful death. His heart pounds hard in his chest, feeling as if it could burst at any moment. He's flooded with so many emotions, he can hardly stand it. And even as her grip on him loosens, Shu is trapped there as surely as he was born in Talta.

After what feels like forever, Bouquet pulls back. Her smile is broader now, and her face is pink with a blush of her own. Without warning, she darts off, waving over her shoulder and calling, "Bye, Shu!"

He stands there stupidly for a long moment, staring after her retreating form. When she is back inside the casino proper, he allows his hand to reach up and trace the place that her lips touched him. His heart kicks in response. "What was _that_?" He doesn't know why he says it, but it seems as good as anything else.

... How on earth is he going to put _that_ from his mind?

* * *

><p><strong>Something that I've never been able to do is write while listening to music, nor am I able to listen to music while I read (fan fics or otherwise). However, music is still a key part of my process, at least for fan fiction – I formulate the majority of my ideas while I listen to music. The three main songs that I listened to while writing this were <strong>_**Buddy**_** by Maaya Sakamoto (I consider this to be the story's "overall theme", so to speak), **_**Lonely in Gorgeous**_** by Tommy february6, and **_**Fantasy**_** by Lama – if we're talking themes in terms of anime themes, the first would serve as the opening with the later two being the first and second ending – supplemented by tracks from Final Fantasy XIII/XIII-2 and Blue Dragon (game and anime). As a matter of fact, **_**Lonely in Gorgeous**_** actually contributed largely to the creation of **_**Royal Flush**_** in the first place, particularly Bouquet's role in the casino; all of the rest (save for her encountering Shu, which had been a big part too) came after.**

**The dates at the top represent the time that the main body (and majority) of this chapter was written. Later on, I went back and made additions throughout the story at different points.**

**I will not be making any changes to the chapters that were written during NaNoWriMo (1-10), no matter how badly I'd like to make corrections where they're needed. I have to live with whatever errors I've made. Yes, they're mistakes, but they're my mistakes.**

**I found the trick! I found the trick! Look: !_!_!_?_ When using multiple punctuation, italicize every other exclamation point/question mark, and the site won't erase it! :D I saw how to do it from an author over by the Dragon Age archive... I wish I could remember their name so I could thank them! :( **


	2. Chapter Two

**!WARNING! Disturbing imagery ahead.**

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><p><strong>[November 3rd – November 6th]<strong>

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><p>The hot shower is heaven to his aching muscles. His back arches towards the heated water; it feels so good that he nearly moans aloud in delight. The only reason he manages to keep quiet is that he knows that Hayate will tease him from the other stall and say he's having dirty thoughts.<p>

When Legolas became indebted to the mayor of Heliwood, the Resistance members - not counting Legolas himself; no has seen or heard from him since this atomic bomb got dropped on all of their heads - were stuffed into this dark, cramped house. Fortunately, only the regiment of Legolas' Personal Guard wound up here, meaning they have to squeeze in about ninety people or so. Had they been part of a regiment like the Blue Wings (they moved on with the rest, thankfully; only the LPG had to stay in Heliwood), this house would have had to fit about four hundred people.

After they started living here, every room became a bedroom - even the kitchen. They sleep on the floor, packed tight like sardines. Every night, he squeezes in between Ojisan and Hannah. The only rooms that they don't sleep in are the bathrooms and the shower room.

The shower room has stalls, like a public restroom he had seen once in a bustling city he can't remember the name of, at least until he came to Heliwood. There are two rows of stalls on the left and right walls of the room (across from the wall bearing the door, the opposite one holds a mirror as long as the wall in question and is lined with sinks), each with a shower head and faucets to adjust temperature (and Resistance-bought bars of soap), with seven in each row for a total of fourteen. Since there aren't enough stalls for them all to shower at once, they have to take shifts; they go from oldest to youngest, and being older than only Lena, Kenta and Ru-chan, Shu is in the last shift. To be honest, it's the most comfortable he feels in the house (aside from laying down beside Ojisan, anyway); the setup of the showers is similar to the ones at the Resistance Primary Camp - save for the stalls not being as private - and that place has been home to Shu for what feels like a lifetime. (He had another home, once. But he was someone else back then.)

He lathers up his hands, rubs the right soap-covered palm against his shoulder. He winces when he instantly finds a kink in the muscle, but the knot relaxes when he angles it towards the running water. Over the rushing noise filling his ears, he hears Hayate call, "Hey, Hannah," and Shu grins, because he knows where this is going, "any chance I can get a look today?"

"You talking about my fist? I'd be more than happy to oblige." Hannah's voice carries a teasing lilt. Every morning they play this game. They tease each other so much that half the time he wonders if she and Hayate might have a thing for each other.

Shu shakes his head at them, grin still in place. He's glad that Hayate is here. The sixteen year old is a pervert, and he's kind of an idiot, but he keeps everyone laughing. Especially Hannah and Shu himself. It makes this whole ordeal - even the war, actually - a whole lot easier to bear.

He runs his hands through his hair, letting the water run through it as he thinks. Thinking about his job makes him think of the girl. Bouquet.

His hands begin to slow in their movements. Bouquet...

_Soft body beneath him, soft breasts being held by him and him by them, soft lips pressing into his cheek-_

Yeah. He really doesn't need to be thinking about this while he's _in the shower_.

... Maybe he should make the water cold, just to be safe.

His muscles seem to wake up and ache all of a sudden, as if they're telling him in no uncertain terms that if he even thinks of touching that faucet, they will assert themselves and get him out of this shower whether he likes it or not.

Shu takes a second to wonder how and why he thought all of that up just now, before admitting to himself that he's trying not to think of Bouquet.

He gives himself a mental shake. _Enough already! Just put her out of your mind!_

With a quick nod, Shu resumes washing. The sooner he stops thinking about it, the better. Though he's quick about finishing, he's still the last one to be done, and is left the only person in the shower room. Towel secured around his waist, he crosses over to the sinks, swiping a hand diagonally down the steam collected on the mirror's surface. His dark brown hair (almost black, really) hangs down about five inches past his shoulders, spiky bangs plastered down onto his forehead, with one or two hanging beside each eye.

"_As a promise." And she leans forward and..._

He touches his cheek, which reddens along with the other one as the memory hits him and his knees weaken. His eyes glaze, go a little... dreamy, almost. And his heart is pounding; it just pounds and pounds and _pounds_...

"What's happening to me?" He asks no one. Maybe he's asking himself.

"Hey, Taii, you coming?_!_"

"I'll be right there, Hayate!" He splashes his face with water, as cold as he can get it, until the flush on his face can be written off as being caused by the shower steam. He lifts his head again, stares at himself in the mirror and says, "Forget about her. She's one of probably hundreds of girls that work in the casino. You'll never see her again."

Shu wishes the thought didn't hurt so much.

* * *

><p>He gazes out of the picture window at his city - the capital. Albarose. Only two years, but he's gained so much in that time. Freedom from the bonds that chained him down. People who believe in what he does - who believe in <em>him<em> - and are willing to do anything to help him accomplish his goals. The adoration he's worked so hard to earn, and the respect he's always deserved. Looking out at the city of Albarose - a representation, really, of all that he has accomplished - he should feel pleased, satisfied.

And yet... Standing here and seeing this, all he feels is a strange sense of disquiet and unease.

It... could be because of _her_. Yes, she certainly would bring on those feelings; it wouldn't be the first time he's felt that way when thinking about her.

But he _hadn't_ been thinking about her...

... Had he?

"Rogi-sama, I have this week's progress reports."

"Good. I would like to look them over in further detail later on, but for now I only want specifics." He turns around, facing Matilda fully. "Has there been any news of the Resistance?"

"I'm afraid not. We have found no trace of them since they entered the desert last month. We have been doing our best to grid the area, but our men keep getting lost in the process. In addition, their supplies are starting to run low - particularly the water. The troops have begun to request that we pull out."

It doesn't take long for him to come to a decision. He is a determined man, but he is not a man that willingly slaughters his own men if it can be avoided. "Wait for another week. If nothing turns up, they have permission to leave. If it comes to it, we will search elsewhere."

"Yes, sir."

"And Shadows." He drums his fingers along his oaken desk. "Have there been any sightings of Shadows?" There is only one that he wants to know of, really. Destroying all Shadows is White Brigade's objective, not his; he has the opposite goal, if anything. Still, caution is always a good thing, and there are still five of the seven unaccounted for; leaving the one of the two that are confirmed would be foolish, especially since she tried to kill him once before, and ignoring those that are undiscovered would be just as unwise.

"No," Matilda says, and he is struck with a peculiar mix of relief and disappointment. "There was the sighting of former Lieutenant Dragnov and his Shadow, Berserker, three months ago, but you are already aware of this. No other activity has been noted since then."

_They still haven't awakened, then. Or could they be that good at hiding? Or... is it possible that the legend is actually myth?_ He puts the thoughts from his mind; there's no point in pondering these "maybe's". It is unhelpful and unproductive. Besides, he has real, actual problems to focus on. "And what about White Brigade? Have there been any new developments?"

"No. For the most part, they have remained in their headquarter city of Nirvana. Unfortunately, all of our attempts at infiltration have been unsuccessful. Everything is highly guarded, and they are quick to discover anyone that is undercover. Most of our infantry is trained for straightforward fighting; to bypass White Brigade's defenses, it would take far more subterfuge than our men are currently capable of."

"I understand." He gives one, single nod. "Thank you, Matilda. That will be all for now."

She bows. "Yes, sir. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask."

Rogi looks back to the window, unable to escape the feeling that the whole world is in a kind of stalemate. Something has to give. But what?

* * *

><p>"... so, is there any chance of us going back there?" He finishes saying.<p>

Twisting away her head away for a moment, she allows herself a wry grin. He's been asking every day since they left. She knows it's because of the girl they met there, the one in the hospital. And really, she can hardly blame him. The time he spent with that girl was probably the first time he'd really, truly smiled in two and half years. "Maybe." She says, looking back at him. "But for now, we move on. Let's break up camp."

It takes them approximately six minutes to get everything packed away. Good time, all things considered. They may need to speed things up more, though; they've been straying awfully close to enemy territory lately. One slipup, one false step, is all they need to be detected. And the last thing she needs is to be caught by them, for more reason than one.

They proceed through the mountain pass, sticking close to the rock wall; the path is thin and narrow, and the other side ends in a drop that's farther down than she'd like to think about.

"Where _are_ we going, then?" He speaks up after they've been walking for a bit. "Anywhere specific?"

"To the west. There are a few things I'd like to check out." She keeps it brief; she has a suspicion or two, but she doesn't want to share her concerns with him just yet. Perhaps in time, but it's too soon right now. Talking about the reasons is just too close to the bigger issue here.

As if on cue, a pain intense enough to send her to her knees slashes through her head. She can't help the pained gasp that tears out of her throat as she hits the ground.

_((Remake. Remake! Remake!_!_ REMAKE!_!_!))_

"Are you okay?_!_" He's kneeling in front of her in a fraction of a second. When the agony (_when the demand - the decree!_) subsides enough that she can lift her head to get a look at him, she sees the open worry and concern all over his face. "... It's getting worse, isn't it?"

She's almost positive that he doesn't know just what exactly it is that's wrong with her; the only thing he knows is that she keeps having these "attacks" of painful headaches. If she has her way, that's how it's going to stay. At the same time, she knows she can't hide forever.

She never really realized what precisely was wrong with her. Not until it had been too late, anyway. Once she knew the danger, chances are she would have ended things on her own terms, to save not only herself but too many lives to count. But... She couldn't. She's come to care for him so much, and she balks at the very idea of abandoning him, now or ever.

Yes... Yes, she has come to care about him a great deal. She's not sure she's ever been so concerned about someone's well-being so much - not since her father. It is because of that care that disaster has been avoided for the entire world. It is because of him that she fought against what plagues her, that she remained herself. That she fights against it still, even though it will probably kill her one day (a day that is fast approaching); she just hopes she doesn't lose herself when that day comes. She's not sure he will ever know just how many people he has saved just by being with her. Perhaps she'll tell him someday, before the end.

"I'll be alright," she tells him. "Come on. We should get going."

They stand and start moving again. The two of them keep going for a while until there is an ominous crack.

She knows that very particular sound.

"Zola-"

She whirls, the panic in his voice ratcheting up her own, and there isn't even enough time to bring out Killer Bat before the pathway crumbles under Jiro's feet.

* * *

><p>"<em>You'll never see her again."<em>

Yes - that would have worked out just fine, if it had actually turned out to be true.

It has been three days since he saved Bouquet, and he's seen her at least once on all three of those days. Every time she spots him, Shu immediately darts away like his feet are on fire, but he knows that his chances are running out. Especially since all of his running about has come to his boss' attention, and for the time being, he has been promptly banned from moving unless someone starts to cause trouble in the casino (or at its entrance).

Today, there is a very good chance he's going to have to face Bouquet. And when he does, he has no idea what he's going to-

"Shu!"

_Oh, crud._

Bouquet's here and he can't run.

... Well, at least things can't get any worse.

"I finally caught up to you!" Her eyes are shining again. They seem to do that a lot. "I've been trying to talk to you for days, but you've been so _busy_!"

"Sorry about that." He doesn't correct her. Even he isn't cruel enough to say straight to her face that he's been avoiding her. To be honest, Shu's strongest impression of the girl is that she doesn't know people very well, and that she knows males even less (and considering her bust size, that isn't a good thing at all).

"That's okay. I just..." She folds her hands behind her back, looking at the ground. "It gets kind of lonely sometimes. You know, you're the only one who's ever really talked to me, and one of the few who groped me but not in a bad way." Shu is still trying to figure out how to ask her how one gets groped in a "good way" without making the conversation _even more awkward_ when she blurts out, "Did you like it?"

_Is this girl for _real_?_ For the first time, Shu thinks he understands how it could be possible for a person to die from shock alone. He doesn't even know how he's managing to stay standing. How could she even _ask_ him that?

"I caught you staring at them the day before yesterday, anyway-"

"No I wasn't!" Shu flushes in embarrassment. He might've stared for a second or two - so sue him! They're huge and he's male and he's hitting puberty! - but God, she makes it sound like he's some kind of pervert! Like... like-

His mind _should_ supply Hayate - the older boy's perverted tendencies are something of a running gag amongst the members of the LPG - but instead the creep that manhandled Bouquet pops into his head. He shivers, skin crawling as his stomach sours. No. No, he's nothing like that man at all. If nothing else, at least he can be sure of that.

"There's no need to be so _shy_." She giggles, like he's being adorable, and his blushing gets worse. "It's okay. Guys stare at them all the time. Sometimes girls do, too."

_She's crazy. That must be it._ It would explain everything away more easily if it were true, but he doubts it. Darn. He never gets anything easy. "I'm not sure that's really something you want to be broadcasting around." He quirks an eyebrow at her. When she just stares at him curiously, he lets out a hard sigh. "Look... I didn't mean to grab you like that. It was an accident. But I _am_ sorry."

"That's okay." Something flickers in her eyes for a split second - nervousness, maybe? - but it's gone so quickly that Shu wonders if he just imagined it. But he soon forgets about it when Bouquet says, "... You could do it again, if you like."

That horrific event from last year flashes through his mind with vivid and nauseating intensity, and something inside of Shu just _snaps_.

"Are you _crazy_?_!_" He all but shrieks at her, and she flinches back, pretty eyes wide with surprise. "To- to actually _say_ something like that-! Do you have any _idea_ what that _does_ to a man?_!_" For him, all it does is stir up a few puberty-induced hormones. But for people like _them_ (_those monsters, those filthy monsters from a year ago, and God, he can still hear the screams-_)... If Bouquet is really as naive as he suspects she is, and she were to let that slip to some guy with no morals, he doesn't even want to _think_ about what could happen. The very idea of it nearly makes him physically sick. "Don't you _ever_ say anything like that to someone again. If... If you said that to the wrong person, someone not as gracious as I am, then you would end up just like you did three nights ago. Except that I probably wouldn't be there to stop them."

"But... B-but..." Her bottom lip trembles.

"No buts. _Listen_ to me." Fury thrums through his veins, even though none of it is directed at her. He hadn't intended to say anything about it. But he keeps seeing the images passing through his mind's eye, and the fear of something like that happening to this girl is so intense that he feels he has to stop even the _possibility_ at any cost - even if that price is to scare her so badly that she never wants it to happen to her. Even if it makes her afraid of him, makes her hate him. But more than any other reason, the telling becomes for his own good just as much as hers - speaking of it almost feels like purging the evil from his soul. "I'm part of an army. The Resistance. A year ago, some of our youngest were caught. We were never really sure who they were aligned with - Grand Kingdom loyalists, maybe, but they seemed to have deserted whatever force used to be behind them. Even Rosenkreuz wouldn't have put up with the kind of... the kind of _things_ they were doing." The words at the end burn his mouth like poison. "Anyway... I was among those that were captured." He pauses for a moment, unsure if he has the strength to tell this tale. But Shu forces it out, like bringing up sharp glass instead of bile. "All of us were beaten. Most were whipped. But for the greens? The very newest of our recruits?" He can still hear them screaming. All of them looking at him. All of them begging for him to help until their voices went hoarse. Listening to his own muffled sobs mix with their screams, knowing that he could do nothing to end or even ease their suffering. And wishing for his own death - _any_ kind of punishment for his inaction, his inability to save them. "They were _raped_." Raped to death, but he can't bring himself to tell her that part now. He doesn't know why. Something inside tells him to spare her from that detail that haunts his dreams. "They were raped, and they forced the rest of us to _watch_." His voice breaks and trembles on the word. He can still see Maya's eyes, brimming with tears and pain, inches from his own; he'd been tied up, his arm broken, and had still tried so desperately to free himself and save her. He remembers each and every agonized cry she'd let out until at last she'd made no sound at all - and never did again. "It didn't matter if they were girls or boys, or how old they were. None of them could have been older than fourteen." A corner of his lip lifts up in a bitter smirk born of hatred and disgust. "The ones that went for the boys, they told me they wanted me. More than the others. Said I was their '_favorite_'." He remembers the pure, undiluted rage that flowed through him; remembers wanting to tear them apart with his bare hands until there was nothing left but a bloody mess. "But they knew I was high-ranking, that I was the one who was supposed to watch out for the ones they were tormenting. And more than that, they could _see_ how much it killed me to watch what they were doing, could see how deeply it hurt me. So they told me they were going to let me go, just have me keep watching instead, since they were feeling generous. They told me I was _lucky_." He didn't feel very lucky. He still doesn't - if he didn't then, he especially doesn't now. Not now that he has to have nightmares about it every other night.

"I'm sorry if it's not what you want to hear." He is. He really is. "But that's life. Usually, we don't get what we want. In any case, you would be smart to stop offering yourself so freely like that. Next time you do it, that person won't be as nice as me." And now for the hardest part. "Oh, and Bouquet? Do yourself a favor and forget that you ever met me." He hopes it will be like ripping off a band-aid - a brief pain, but all better afterwards. They'll both move on and forget that any of this ever happened.

But something about what he says seems to set her off, because Bouquet immediately bursts into tears.

His heart leaps towards his throat. Shu can only stare at her, not sure what to do, feeling an encroaching panic . He's raised kids - crying babies and toddlers, he can deal with that, no problem. All in a day's work, and he can even enjoying taking care of them. But crying girls? Oh no. No _way_. That is an _entirely_ different story. He pins down his nurturing instinct and embraces it with both arms - right now, he has a feeling that he's going to need it very badly.

"I-I- I-I'm sorry..." She gets out between sobs. "I-it's just that... Y-you're the only one who's e-ever been nice to me like this... Nobody p-pays attention to me... Th-they all think I'm _stupid_." The last word is said more harshly than he thought her capable of. Perhaps he underestimated her; maybe she has some baggage of her own. "B-but it's not _my_ fault that I say things that sound s-strange to everyone else. A-and even worse... sometimes they-they'd pretend to be nice to me, and I-I'd hear them saying nasty things about me when they didn't know I was a-around." She sniffs a few times, struggling to get herself under control. "I just thought... All of the guys always seemed happy when they grabbed me, or tried to. A-and... I thought that maybe, just maybe, if I made you happy enough, you might stay friends with me."

"... You don't want a friend like me, Bouquet." To be honest, Shu is still caught up on the first part. _They really treat her like that? No wonder she's been following me around the last few days._ Even though he's been short with her - and has probably just frightened her out of her mind - compared to the treatment Bouquet's been receiving, in her eyes, Shu must be like a saint.

"I do!" Her tears cease (at least, for the moment), her face suddenly becoming a picture of determination. "You're the first person to be nice to me since my family, and _nothing_ is going to change my mind!"

Shu shuts his eyes. _Maybe you'd think differently if you knew what happened to the rest of my friends. And how it was all my fault._

Then again... Is it really better to leave her to the tender mercies of those she tried to make friends with before? The thought infuriates him almost as much as the idea of leaving her to prospective perverts.

_Don't get involved!_ His mind shouts at him. _Do _not_ get attached! You will not be responsible for more innocents getting hurt!_ He almost wants to sarcastically ask himself, "Which innocents from which time?", but one, it's a pointless question, and two, he tries not to talk to himself if he can help it.

But... He's not going to be here in Heliwood _permanently_, right? There... There wouldn't _really_ be any harm in watching out for Bouquet until he leaves, right?

_... Right._ The thought is reluctant, but it's a confirmation all the same, and he can't deny that a small piece of him secretly wants to jump for joy. He gives a short nod, ignoring Bouquet's sudden blinking at him and says, "Tell you what. I'll make you a deal." He pauses, part to think it over and part for effect. It has the desired result - he can see how Bouquet has become intrigued. "I can't stay here forever. The Resistance wound up here because they became indebted to the mayor, but one day that debt is going to be paid off. But for all the time we're here, I'll watch out for you. We can be... part-time friends, I guess. So. Deal?" He outstretches a hand towards her.

Bouquet stares at his hand for a few seconds, before smiling and taking hold of it. "Okay!" She puts on a stern expression suddenly, but it's more of a comical attempt than anything else, and Shu has to shove down the laugh climbing up his throat to avoid causing any offense. "But no 'part-time'! If you come back, we'll still be friends! And I get to send you letters, and you'd better send me some, too!"

Shu smirks, more than a little amused. "Fair enough." What harm could it do? He's already going to be keeping an eye on her while he's here, and a few letters won't be much of a risk. For the first one, he's not planning on coming back here ever again, and for the second, as long as he isn't near her, she won't be in any danger.

Besides, spending time with her every once in a while and reading letters from her after he's gone... It might be kind of nice.

* * *

><p>"So," Hayate starts, "I've been thinking-"<p>

"A noteworthy event," Hannah drawls from her seat beside Shu. "We should all get out telescopes and watch, since it probably won't happen again for another forty years."

Hayate responds without malice, "Shove off, Rose. Anyway, Shu, I've been watching you... You've been acting... different lately. Something happened to you. What is it?"

Too many pairs of eyes to count are suddenly all focusing on him. _Gossipy little band of traitors,_ Shu thinks sourly. _See if I ever do anything for them again._ Even so, he knows he will; even though he isn't that close with the majority of them, they've become the closest thing he has to a family. Especially Ojisan, even if Shu met him before either of them were actually a part of the Resistance. "I'm sure you're imagining things." He says, carefully neutral, returning his attention to dinner and hoping that will be the end of it.

But this is Hayate, which automatically means that it will _never_ be the end of it. "You met a girl, didn't you?"

Shu can't help it - he chokes on the water he'd been drinking.

Hayate roars with laughter, and several of the men in the regiment begin to whistle and catcall. Shu's hand tightens into a fist, quaking with rage while his face burns in humiliation. He's about half a second from beating somebody bloody - hopefully Hayate - before he feels a hand on his shoulder. Shu looks up at the hand's owner, pleading with his eyes. "Ojisan..."

"Let it go." The older man says gently, low enough so that only he and Shu can hear. His voice is soothing, and Shu starts to relax. Then, louder, he speaks up over the ruckus, "That's enough out of all of you!"

The room instantly quiets down. With Legolas gone, Ojisan is next in command, and even an order that isn't all that serious is still an order. They are still soldiers, even if they've been denied the right to fight for what they believe.

"Dragnov is right," Hannah adds. "Your behavior is uncalled for. Just finish up your dinner and get ready for bed." Once they resume eating, she sits down beside Shu again. "You okay, kiddo?"

"Fine." He says it a little too quickly, and a little too forced. He shouldn't be so worked up over it, but... It stings. He doesn't know why, but it does.

She pats his shoulder, saying nothing, and that is more reassuring than anything she could have said. The rest of his anger dissipates. (For now.)

Hannah lets her hand rest on his shoulder, Ojisan gives him a reassuring smile, and he catches Hayate's sheepish but apologetic look.

Even if they aren't at the place he'd once known by the name, Shu is still home.


	3. Chapter Three

**[November 6th – November 9th]**

* * *

><p>The wind whistles through her hair, silver strands catching the light of the sun as dawn breaks. She can only hope that she's fast enough.<p>

Jiro's head lolls against her arm - soft breath stirs the small hairs on her arm, confirming that even if he's unconscious, he's still alive - and she secures her grip on him. By some fortuitous miracle, the hood of his coat had caught on a branch sticking out of the canyon wall, breaking his fall. With Killer Bat, she'd had _just_ enough time to catch him before that same branch broke. He's battered and bruised, it seems like a bone or two may be broken, and she has a terrible suspicion that he has a concussion. There's no way for her to be sure how bad the damage is; she knows the basics of field medicine like the back of her hand, but that is the extent of her medical knowledge.

She's running out of time. She must get to the west before it's too late... She doesn't know how long she has; she can't afford to throw away any amount of time. There is so much riding on her getting to the western side of the continent. If she doesn't... Well. It doesn't even bear thinking about.

She has no choice.

... And that is why she chose to turn around and head east, to the mountains. To the clinic.

* * *

><p>"So, when did you join the Resistance?"<p>

She watches as Shu flinches, almost as if he's in pain, and Bouquet wonders if she's pushed her luck. Her new friend isn't open at the best of times, but worse than that, she's starting to worry if perhaps she stirred up a painful memory just now. She can still plainly see in her mind's eye the haunted and tortured look in his eyes as he told her about the horrific events he'd been forced to witness.

"Two years ago." His voice is short and controlled, like he's holding himself back from something. "I was ten."

"That's... a young age to join the army."

He catches her eye, and Bouquet curses herself for her own stupidity; she knows how her eyes get when she wants to know something, all bright and shiny. He'll see her curiosity as plain as day, even if she doesn't press and ask him how he became a part of the army.

But then Shu's mouth lifts in a slight grin, and she sees something like amusement flicker in his eyes before he sighs and leans back. He slings an arm over his knee and stares up at the sky as he remembers. "I... I had been on the run. Grand Kingdom had just begun their attacks on a wider scale, and... I had been an unfortunate witness to it." There's a story there, she knows, but Shu is continuing before she has any time to think about it, "I met a Grand Kingdom lieutenant called Dragnov, though I didn't know he was a part of the army at the time. Things... happened," Shu says it uneasily, his voice catching slightly, "and Dragnov ended up dissenting from the Grand Kingdom army. Not too long after, we came across the Resistance and joined them."

"There's more to it than _that_!" Bouquet can't stop the (slightly whining) outburst. She's wondering so much about all of the details he isn't telling her that she feels like she's going to burst!

His mouth twitches. Once again, he seems like he's amused, though Bouquet doesn't know why. "There is. Maybe I'll tell you more some other time. Come on," he stands, brushes off the backs of his legs. "Lunchtime is almost over. You should get back inside before someone catches you out here with me."

She almost says, _Let them catch me._ Her own audacity surprises her. Something about Shu just makes her so... bold, sometimes. She can't place it. It should probably worry her. Instead, it only instills a faint excitement. "... Alright. I'll see you later...?" Bouquet trails off hopefully. Shu has never said no so far, but she always asks - and she always fears that one day, he won't say yes.

"Of course I will, you goose." Chuckling, he raps her very lightly on the top of her head with his knuckles. The contact sends a shiver through her; she's not really sure why. What she does know, though, is that she's gotten to the point where she almost _craves_ contact with Shu; he is the only one who's touched her in a remotely friendly way since her family, and it makes her want to hold him and never let go. It's a shame that he does it so rarely; her intuition tells her that Shu is a genial person, but it always seems like whatever he's doing, he's holding himself back from something. As if he's protecting both himself and those around him from some danger that only he knows. Shu is a mystery; that's for certain. But Bouquet enjoys trying to figure him out. "Try to stay out of trouble until I get there, okay?"

"'Kay!" She nods, already feeling giddy. Evening can't get here fast enough.

* * *

><p>He opens his eyes to bright light, shutting them again immediately from the stabbing pain it induces in his head. When it subsides, he lets the lids lift once more, feeling somewhat satisfied that he manages to keep them open this time. He discovers the source of the light as well - a window about two feet over his head. He blinks blearily, wondering why the window looks so different-<p>

-when the memory tumbles in. And he groans out loud at his own foolishness. _What an amateur mistake. You deserve to wind up in this place if you're going to do stupid things like that._ He sits up in the bed, wincing as the scabs on his chest try to accommodate the movement.

Still... Considering where he's ended up - or, rather, _who_ he has ended up near - he can't really say that he minds.

_Stop that!_ He chides himself. _You have far more important things to concern yourself about than-_

"I'm starting to wonder if you're getting yourself chewed up on purpose, given the fact that it seem to happen an awful lot."

_Her_ voice. All internal debates promptly cease, focus turning to keeping his cheeks from turning pink. Or, more noticeably (and worse - can't forget worse), red. "That's ridiculous," he mumbles, trying not to sound as sheepish as he feels. He isn't so sure that he's succeeded. "I don't have any reason to do that." Well... He kind of _does_ - and she's standing right in the room - but truly, he ended up here because of an accident.

She laughs lightly, and he feels so light that he could fly, injuries or no. "_Sure_ you don't." She sets down the supplies she's holding the small table by his bedside. "And that's why you keep coming here, carved up like some glorified ham." Something flickers in her eyes, but it's there and gone before he has much of a chance to think about it. "Anyway. I'm going to take the bandages off and check your injuries. You shouldn't have to stay overnight or anything, but I want to check and be sure."

Her touch is gentle, her fingertips smooth, as she unwinds the gauze on his forehead. He struggles to keep his uneven breathing from becoming too noticeable. When she draws back and confirms that his head is fine, he finally starts to relax. At least, until she says, "Now, let me take a look at the other wounds."

Her hands come to rest upon the flat planes of his dressing-covered chest for just a moment, but it's long enough - his heart races as quickly as the beats of hummingbird wings. His head spins with every brush of her knuckles as she unwinds the bandage, and he starts to wonder if he'll pass out when she stops and says, "Well, these are healing nicely. Try not to do anything that could tear them open, and they should be just fine. They shouldn't even scar." She smiles up at him, and he's flooded with happiness. "A few days and you'll be as good as new."

_I already am... now that I'm here with you._ He doesn't dare say it aloud; he doesn't have the nerve. He knows that he should do something about this... fondness for her. He can't escape the feeling that someday, it will get in the way of his objective. But he still can't bring himself to eliminate these feelings. He swallows down his unease; he'll worry about it some other time. "Thank you... Kluke."

She giggles, eyes closed. "You're welcome," she gathers the supplies quickly, balancing the items carefully while still maintaining some freedom for her right arm so she can open the door. "For now, try to take it easy. I'll send your friend up in a minute."

It is precisely two and a half minutes after she leaves that he hears a wry voice from the doorway state, "You know, I'm starting to wonder if you might be a little sweet on that doctor girl, Andropov."

"Schneider! Shut up!" Embarrassed and panicked, he tries desperately to keep his voice from rising. If Kluke were to hear him or Schneider... Or, more importantly, what they're _saying_... No. She can't find out, no matter what (not yet, anyway). "And if you came up here just to upset me until I pass out, then I don't really see the point in it."

Schneider ignores this, as suspected, and takes a seat in the chair closest to the bed, the legs scraping against wooden floorboards as he drags it as close as possible. "How are you feeling, kid?"

"Good, right up until you showed up," Andropov says flatly, but without malice. When the two of them banter like this, they both know not to take each other too seriously. "And stop calling me 'kid'!" However, he fervently wishes that Schneider would take _that_ more seriously.

Schneider smirks. "Sure, kid." He only chuckles as Andropov snarls in annoyance. Jerk. "But, really, are you feeling any better?"

"Yeah." He can't keep the slight smile off his face as he tells the next part, "Kluke said it would heal up fine."

"Oh, _Kluke_ now, is it? Know her by name now, do you?" He grins; it looks both wicked and mischievous. "I wonder what it will be next?"

"I could come up with a few names for you instead," Andropov grumbles sourly. "How's that sound?"

Schneider just laughs pleasantly. "I think it sounds like you're feeling better!" He becomes more serious when he follows this with, "Which is a good thing for more than the obvious. Lemaire just received word from Matilda two hours ago. Rogi-sama wants us back at Albarose."

"Oh yeah?" Andropov swallows, inexplicably nervous all of a sudden. _What's wrong with me? It's good that Rogi-sama wants us to come back. Isn't it?_ "Did she happen to say why?"

Schneider shrugs. "No. At least, if she did, Lemaire didn't mention it to me." He grins. "Why? You want to stick around for some reason?"

Andropov looks down, hands clenching the sheets tightly. "Schneider..."

Something in Andropov's voice must get through to him, because Schneider's tone becomes softer and more concerned. "What is it, Andropov?"

"I..." He clears his throat. It doesn't seem to do anything for his nerves. "Are you going to tell Rogi-sama or the others? About... About Kluke, I mean." He tenses, waiting for either teasing or confirmation.

He gets neither. "I won't." A hand rests on his shoulder, and Andropov expels a shaky breath as some of the tension leaves him. There's something about Schneider that's just so terribly reassuring... He never used to notice it before. But during Cynthia and Lemaire's unconsciousness, and then Gilliam's coma, the two had been left with no one but Rogi-sama and each other. And in that time, they had cleaved together, an unlikely pair forming a fierce and unbreakable friendship. Even after the others had woken and started working with them again, none of them ever became as close to Andropov and Schneider as they had with each other.

"... Thank you, Schneider." A lump seems to have formed in his throat, but Andropov doesn't know what to do about it.

Schneider winks in response. "C'mon, kid. Let's get going."

* * *

><p>He crosses his legs, taking care to watch his balance and make sure he doesn't tip over the stool he's seated himself in. He knows that he shouldn't, but Shu almost wishes that something would happen so he'd have something to actually <em>do<em>.

He's glad that he managed to post himself here without any static from his boss, though. It gives him a perfect view of the poker tables - the area that Bouquet is always working in. True, it does give him an advantageous viewpoint of the rest of the casino as well, but he's mostly concerned with Bouquet's location now.

It's odd. First, watching her had been a somewhat unwanted obligation, but now... It hasn't been that long since they became "friends", but now he isn't even forcing himself. It's more of a want, a _need_ to know that she is safe and well.

And though Shu doesn't think he'd ever admit it... He's quickly come to enjoy her company a great deal. Not even counting being tied down to this city and the repercussions of that situation, her presence is the only source of joy he seems to have these days.

Until Bouquet came along, he'd almost forgotten what it was like to feel so much happiness. As it is, it feels strange for him to adjust to the feeling like this so often.

(He used to be happy every single day. It feels like such a long time ago.)

"Do you want anything to drink, Shu?" His head snaps up, the musings dissipating from his head like clouds as he sees Bouquet in front of him, holding a tray of drinks (and he _must_ have been in deep thought for a while, he thinks, if she was able to sneak up on him so easily). Usually, the majority of beverages served here are alcoholic, but Shu seriously doubts that she would try to give him some; not even taking into account the fact that he's underage, Shu's already told her that he's sworn off all alcohol (even if he hasn't told her _why_ - and he's never trusting Hayate in a bar ever again).

He offers her a smile. "No, I'm good. Maybe later, okay?"

She nods, giggling, before skipping off to ask someone else the same question. He keeps an eye on her as she goes, watching for any sings of danger. He can't let her get hurt... Bouquet is just a kid, really - an innocent.

He used to be like that.

But not anymore.

* * *

><p>She grabs her head as it begins to throb, wincing as she closes her eyes. The headaches are getting more painful, as well as more frequent. And they've gotten to the point where they happen for no reason at all.<p>

"Are you alright, Primula-sama?" Vermillion. So constant. So reliable. She doesn't know what she'd do without him.

"Yes. I think so." And it's true - the pain is already starting to fade, so much so that she can open her eyes again with no risk of it increasing the aching. She sees Vermillion, standing near the doorway leading out of the dining room, hand on the hilt of his sword; always ready to protect her. After the headaches started to happen regardless of her having any visions, now Ojiisama always has either Vermillion or Furioso - (admittedly, mostly the former - she likes them both the same, but Furioso is far too hot-headed to put up with staying still and guarding someone for very long). One of the two is around her practically _all_ the time now. The treatment should be overbearing - especially since she usually prefers a calmer and quieter atmosphere - and yet... She actually looks forward to spending time with them. She doubts anyone in the White Brigade realizes it, but Primula is a very lonely person. And contact with anyone is something that she has come to treasure dearly.

Vermillion takes a hesitant step forward. "Primula-sama, should I go and alert the Doctor-?"

"And now for the next course!_!_" A familiar voice shouts from the kitchen, and a just as familiar Mecha Robo (previously donned chef hat and all) slides into the room. From the upward curve of his simulated eyelids, Primula can tell that Szabo is in a buoyant mood, and she feels her own temperament rapidly becoming better. Aside from Vermillion and Furioso (and perhaps Ojiisama, though as family, he almost seems closer to her than that), the Robo is the nearest thing she has to a best friend (though she isn't sure if she could choose out of them all who she likes the most, if it were to come down to it). "I hope you enjoy it, Primula-sama."

She nods at him. "Thank you, Szabo." As soon as the robot has returned to the kitchen to put the finishing touches on the next course, Primula returns her attention to Vermillion. "And thank you, too, but there's no need to inform Ojiisama. I'll be fine." She puts on a smile that is far braver than she feels.

It's getting worse. She knows it is. She also knows that there is no real way to stop it.

Her time is running out. She has to find him, before it's too late.

* * *

><p>She's caught up in dreams and nightmares of the past (again) when a harsh knocking awakens her. Rain beats heavily on the windowpanes as she sits up in bed.<p>

She hears her friends' sleep-slurred mumbling while she throws the blankets off of herself, but she pays it no mind. There are only so many reasons that someone would be calling at this time of night.

Not bothering to change out of her nightclothes, she chooses instead to hurl herself out of the door. She races down the hall, stumbling when she turns but quickly regaining her balance. She hurries down the stairs, taking them two at a time. She yanks a lamp off of the stand near the front door, lighting it as fast as she can before tugging open that very same door-

"Please." The woman standing on the doorstep is soaked to the bone, her silver hair and icy blue eyes lit up by the lantern's bright light. She knows this person. The swordswoman. Zola. "Please help him."

Something in the tone causes her to look down, and Kluke can't help the startled gasp that escapes her when she sees the limp and unmoving boy in Zola's arms. "_Jiro_."

**I'm interested in finding out how many – if there **_**are**_** any – I managed to trick into thinking that was Jiro during the scene in Andropov's perspective. :)**


	4. Chapter Four

**[November 9th – November 12th]**

* * *

><p><em>The sky looks like it's on fire.<em>

_Shu can't move, can barely even breathe, as he stares at this horrific visage._

_His life is burning up all around him, and he has no way to put out the fire._

"_Shu! _Shu_!" A hand on his arm, shaking him, trying to bring him back to reality, but he doesn't want to go - he doesn't think he has the strength to face this. "We have to do something!" But _she_ does._

_And if she does, then so does he._

"_You- you're right." He swallows hard. "We can't just sit by and let this happen. We have to try and stop them!"_

_They make it to the village in a matter of minutes, and each one is an eternity for him. When they finally arrive, Shu hops off of the motorbike, yanking the stick out of his waistcloth and brandishing it like the sword he's always imagined it to be - that it will _have_ to be today. "Let's get 'em!" The declaration is twice as confident as he feels._

_She and the boys cheer behind Shu, and he sticks his courage. They are counting on him. He cannot fail!_

_He charges at the first soldier he sees, stick swinging wide. He lands a direct hit, and feels hope soar in his chest. They can do this. They can win!_

_And then Hibiki screams behind him._

_Shu whirls, heart stopping and taking a leap towards his throat. "Hibiki-!_!_!"_

_Something cracks against the back of his head. His vision blurs and darkens, and he knows that he's about to black out. He sees the flames devouring Talta Village and hears Kluke screaming his name before everything goes dark._

* * *

><p>Shu comes to gasping. He spends a moment lying there, panting, trying to figure out where he is. The sound of voices float into his awareness: "Is he awake?" "Is he okay?"<p>

"I'm..." His voice is dry. He clears his throat and tries again. "I'm awake."

"You're alright." It's as much a statement as it is a question. A strong hand grips his shoulder, and Shu warms as he becomes aware of Ojisan's presence.

"You were having a real doozy, Taii," Lena's head pops into his line of vision. "You must've kicked Hannah three times or something."

He glances around for Hannah, guiltily meeting her eyes. "Sorry." His voice is small, and he thinks it's probably the first time he's sounded twelve since he was eleven years old. (And if that isn't a sign that everything he's been through has screwed him up indefinitely, Shu doesn't know what is.)

"Don't worry about it." She shakes her head, grinning at him. "It was past time I got up anyway."

He returns the smile weakly, but it doesn't last very long. He looks down and away, unable to hold her gaze. Shu shivers as the memory-nightmare plays through his head. He hates dreaming about the past. It always leaves him feeling like he's been torn apart.

He shuts his eyes against their stinging, trying to keep any moisture from pushing out of the closed lids as he hears her voice again. _Kluke..._

And that is the reason he hates reliving past events more than anything else. When he thinks of her, it feels like he's lost something that he'll never get back.

* * *

><p>"Jiro? Jiro, can you hear me?"<p>

A groan escapes his throat as consciousness arrives (and apparently, it's in a bad mood). He aches in places that he didn't know could ache and he half wishes (more than half, honestly, and more than whole if he's going for broke) that someone would just knock him out again so he wouldn't have to feel this.

"Please, Jiro... I need to give you some medicine. Can you wake up for just a moment, please?"

The voice is pleading, so gentle, that he feels compelled to at least try for their sake. With tremendous effort, he forces his eyes to open...

He finds himself staring into green depths, framed by strands of light brown hair. A girl, and he knows that she's familiar but it takes a lot of digging around in his uncooperative brain to find the answer. But finally, he does. _Kluke._ He says her name aloud, "Kluke." Bits of memory dart in and out of his head - wanting to see Kluke one more time, Zola smiling at him, Zola in pain again, falling in the canyon - but everything seems so terribly _foggy_. It's like trying to force his way through a blizzard, or trying to swim in syrup rather than water.

Even through the fog in his brain, though, Kluke's tired smile is like a beacon of light. "I'm here." It's an odd thing to notice right now, but he's suddenly aware that he's seeing Kluke with her hair down for the first time. She looks beautiful. He chases after the musing, trying in vain to attempt to scold himself for even _thinking_ that, but he's too exhausted to even start. "And I need you to take this medicine. I'll be honest with you - it tastes horrible. But you need it to speed up the healing. I might've tried something else, but I'm low on supplies." Her eyes glint with humor. "You two just never learn when to take it easy, do you?"

Worry pricks at him, and he opens his mouth to ask if Zola is alright - but Kluke immediately takes advantage of this to shove the spoon into his mouth. He gags at the taste - she's right; it does taste awful - and for a moment, he is caught between annoyance at her underhandedness and appreciation at her cleverness. He feels too sluggish to maintain any overly complicated emotions, though, and so irritation wins by a mile. He scowls at her when the spoon is removed. "You didn't have to do that." His voice slurs a little. Normally, he'd be outraged at such a lack of discipline on his part. At the moment, he just barely cares.

"Yes, actually. Yes, I did."

He prepares to counter, wants to think of some smart comeback, but immediately falls short. But then, he has to agree - yes, yes she did. "Who's the other person, then?..." He feels sleepy all of a sudden, vaguely aware that it's probably due to the medicine.

"Other person?" She sounds confused. Did he imagine it?

"... Said two..."

"Two...? _Oh_." Realization dawns. She shakes her head. "Don't worry about that now. If you want, I'll tell you about him when you wake up." Her face softens, and she reaches out to touch his face. "Just get some rest now. I'll see you later on in the morning."

Jiro's last thought before he gives in to sleep, with Kluke's hand on his face, is that he wishes she could stay close to him like this for longer.

* * *

><p>"I don't really see the point in that." Shu mumbles not quite under his breath.<p>

"Don't be silly!" Bouquet giggles. "When you have a friend, you're supposed to get to know them better!"

Shu shrugs. "You say so." His amusement leaks into his voice, even though he tries to stop it. "Go ahead and ask me, then."

"Okay! What's your favorite color?"

"Blue." Another shrug. "If you want to get really specific, the shade I like the most is pretty close to sapphire. Next."

"Specifics are good! If you can describe your answers in more detail, that'd be great! Anyway, next question. What's your favorite food?"

"Apples. Mushrooms are a close second. And I'll eat just about anything that's made with either. Next."

"What's your favorite time of day?"

_Afternoon._ He shoves that down. It _used_ to be his favorite time of day. _Though considering that's when I get to spend time with Bouquet the most, maybe it'll be my favorite again soon. _He pushes that away, too. "Night, especially if there's a good breeze going, or if one of the moons are full. I like to sit on the rooftops and think, and that's the best time to do it. Next."

"Your favorite season?"

"Summer." _It's the perfect time of year to go down to the river and- Stop it!_! "I grew up in a desert, and I'm usually not in one anymore - unless you count here, and I'm staying in Heliwood so long because of unusual circumstances - but when it's hot I feel more at home. Next."

"What's your favorite fruit?"

"Is that a trick question?" When she continues staring at him blankly, Shu sighs and answers, "Apples. And I already described that for you, so I'm not going to do it again. Next."

"Who's your favorite person?"

_Kluke._ He fights back memories and nightmares. "Dragnov. Ojisan to me. He saved my life more than once, and he's the closest thing to family that I have." Shu grins, then, feeling mischievous for the first time in two years. "Although, if I'm really being honest here, I'd have to say that you're working your way up the ranks. And you're not too far off. Next."

Shu feels gratified when Bouquet blushes. "What's your favorite thing to do?"

"Honestly? Not much these days. I guess I like training, in a way, especially when it comes to swordplay. Also, I like to talking to you. Next."

"U-um..." The blush deepens. "What's your favorite thing to drink?"

"Mostly water. I won't turn down a decent soda, though. Next."

"What's your favorite holiday?"

"The Harvest Festival in my hometown. The thing I liked most about it was baking the pies, and the smell of them while they cooked. Next."

"What's your favorite number?"

"Four. It was the number of my closest friends when I was growing up, so decided that it was my favorite number. Next."

"What's your favorite flavor of ice cream?"

"I don't really have one... I like vanilla well enough, I guess. Next."

"What's your favorite day of the week?"

"Friday, lately. It's the day I get paid, and that means the Resistance is that much closer to paying off this debt. Next."

"What's your favorite kind of weather?"

"Bright and clear. The hotter, the better. Next."

"What's your favorite thing about you?"

He hesitates. _I don't like anything about me._ Bouquet probably wouldn't be overly pleased with that kind of answer, though, so he scrambles to think of something. "... Not much of anything, actually. If I had to choose something, probably that I don't give up easily. Next."

"Last question! What's your favorite memory?"

He closes his eyes, seeing it in his mind's eye. "Sitting on the cliff overlooking my village with my best friend, and looking at the mountains in the distance, so far away from us that they seemed blue." He opens his eyes. "So, are we done now?"

"Yep!" Bouquet nods happily. "That's it!"

"Good." He smirks. "Because now it's your turn."

"Huh?" Her enthusiasm seems to wane slightly.

"Well, you got to know me a little better just now," he folds his arms, raising an eyebrow. "Don't I get to know you?"

"That's true," Bouquet gives a single nod. "Besides, it's only fair. Okay. Do you remember the questions?"

"Well enough, I think. You ready?" When hums in the affirmative, Shu proceeds, "Alright, then. First up: What's your favorite color?"

"Pink, and I also like light blue. I don't know why I like them." A bit of a giggle escapes her. "Next!"

"Favorite food?"

She lifts a hand in the air. "Strawberry cheesecake!"

"Bouquet," her name is an exhalation of exasperation mixed with fondness. Shu doesn't try to figure out that particular combination. He's learned by now that when it comes to Bouquet, it's better to just act now and think about it later. "A dessert can't be a favorite food."

"It can, too!" She pouts, and the thought that it looks cute crosses his mind before he has a chance to stop it.

Shu smirks at the easy opening. "Can not."

"Can too!"

"Can not."

"Can too!"

"Alright, alright," he waves a hand dismissively. "Let's table that for now. Favorite time of day?"

"Dawn. I like watching the sun come up. Next!"

"Favorite season?"

"Spring! That's when all of the flowers start to bloom. Next!"

"Favorite fruit?"

"Cherries. I like strawberries more if they're on cheesecake, though. Next!"

"Favorite person?"

"You!" The admission comes without hesitation, and it leaves Shu utterly stunned. An odd warmth spreads through his chest; it's hard to identify what it is precisely, but he can't deny that it isn't an unpleasant feeling. "You're the only one that's ever been nice to me, except for my family. Next!"

"U-uh-" He swallows, trying to get a hold of himself. "Favorite thing to do?"

"I like cooking, and shopping. And, um..." She blushes, looking away for just a moment. "I like talking to you, too." She regains her confidence, becoming cheerful and almost bouncy once again. "Next!"

"Favorite thing to drink?"

"Anything sweet. If I had to pick, though, probably fruit smoothies. Next!"

"Favorite holiday?"

"Um..." Bouquet pauses here, though he doesn't have any idea why. When she seems to collect herself, her eyes are a little distant. "The Winter Solstice. My parents would come and get me, and then we'd go to my grandmother's house, and stay there until a week before spring. My favorite day would always be Christmas and Christmas Eve, though. We used to have a lot of fun, then." She shakes her said slightly, before saying a more subdued than previously, "Next."

_Her parents would come and get her?_ There are some layers to this story, ones that Bouquet doesn't seem too keen on talking about right now. He wonders briefly if he can coax the answers from her before dismissing the idea; Bouquet will tell him in time, if she wants to, and when she's ready. Nothing will come of pressing the issue. Besides, maybe more of the "favorite things" questions will provide some answers to the thoughts now swimming around in his head. "Favorite number?"

"Seven. I don't really know why, though. I just decided that I liked it when I was younger." She shrugs slightly again. "Next!"

"Favorite ice cream flavor?"

"Vanilla! Strawberry and cherry are good too, though. Next!"

"Favorite day of the week?"

"Sunday! It's my one day off in the week, so I can do whatever I want. And it starts off the week, too! Next!"

"Favorite kind of weather?"

"Snow! I love it when it snows!" She gestures with her arms. "You can make so many different things with it. Snow angels, snowmen, snow forts... And snowballs, of course! Next!"

"Your favorite thing about yourself?"

"My hair." Bouquet tosses one of her pigtails pointedly. "It's long when it isn't tied up, and I think it's cute when it is. I like my eyes, too. You don't usually see many people with purple eyes, and I'm glad to have them. Next!"

"Lastly, what's your favorite memory?"

She smiles softly, her eyes getting that distant look again, though it's more of a bittersweet look this time rather than outright sadness. Wistfully, Bouquet tells him, "Baking with my grandmother. We used to cook all kinds of things together. Mostly desserts, though. Cookies, cakes, chocolate... Bread, too, and it would always be nice and warm when it came out of the oven."

He leans forward, holding his chin in the palm of his hand. "... It sounds like you miss your family a lot."

"I do." The smile drops. Shu realizes it's probably the first time he's ever seen Bouquet frowning, aside from that night she was nearly assaulted. "I really do..." She lifts her head again, eyes locking onto his inquisitively. "And what about you? Do you miss your family?"

Uncomfortable, Shu turns away. Kluke scolding, the boys laughing, Ojiichan working... And further back, his mother embracing him. "Yes. I do, too."

* * *

><p>"<em>Shu! Shu, can you hear me?"<em>

_The whisper-yell pulls him from the murky, swampy depths of unconsciousness. With a groan, he opens his eyes-_

_He's surrounded by metal._

_Shu bites back the cry trying to inch its way up his throat. There are no metallic ceilings or walls in Talta, only stone and wood and clay. He's not home, he's not home, he's not-_

"_Shu!"_

Kluke!_ Kluke is here, and that means that either this place can't be too bad, or she will know how to get them home. He calms and pulls himself into a sitting position. The floor is made of metal, too; the slick surface is cold under his palms. He sees stacks of crates scattered around, all of them varying in height; a few of them almost reach the ceiling. "Kluke, where are you?"_

"_Behind you." He turns, and there she is, along with the boys, and his heart jumps. They're here and they're safe and everything is going to be okay- "You're alright. I wasn't sure if..." She swallows once, twice, then shakes her head. "Never mind. It isn't important now. Are you hurt?"_

"_No, I... I don't think so." Shu starts moving towards her, and as he does so he notices that Kluke and the boys aren't the only ones here with him - the room is filled to the brim with children from Talta Village. In fact..._ It almost looks like all of the kids from the village are here. _But that can't be true. It's impossible. Isn't it? "Kluke, what the heck is going on? Where are we?"_

_She bites her lip nervously, that telltale sign that lets him know that she's about to impart bad news. Shu doesn't know what has happened, but whatever it is can't be good. "Shu, I..." She clears her throat, looking for all the world like she wishes she could tell him something, _anything_ else. "We're in a ship. They took us." A short pause. "All of us."_

"_What do you mean?" Fear and frustration make his voice sharp. "What are you talking about? You aren't making any sense-"_

"The soldiers captured us, Shu_." She says, each word loud and precise; each one is like a blow._

_He sits there, just gaping at her. She can't be serious. This... This is some horrible joke, or nightmare. Any moment, someone will tell him this has been a nasty prank, or he'll wake up in his room and hear Ojiichan hammering away at the forge._

_This _can't be happening_._

_...Not to them. _

_Not to him._

_She gives him a nervous look. "Shu... I need to tell you something. You might not like it, but you have to listen to me." Kluke breathes out hard, stirring the hairs on the right side of her face. "I... I know how you can escape-"_

"_You do?_!_" Shu's so ecstatic he can hardly believe it. As it is, he barely keeps himself from bursting out laughing. Of course Kluke knows what to do! How could he have ever doubted her? "Awesome! Let's hurry up and get out of here-!"_

_With careful control and what seems like forced calm, Kluke tells him, "Not us. You."_

_The world spins crazily underneath Shu. "Wh-what?"_

"_When they first put us in here, I had just enough time to loosen your restraints." She jerks her head downwards, and Shu is confused by what she means until she sees that his wrists and ankles - _all_ of their wrists and ankles - are encircled by iron cuffs. On his, though, he can see what looks like a break. "I... didn't have enough time to get anyone else free." Regret tinges her voice, but she presses onward. "But, you go. You can get out. I think I can speak for all of us when I say that we don't want you to stick around for whatever they're going to do to us if you don't have to." There are collective nods and sounds of agreement amongst the children, and he notices absently that Hibiki's eyes look suspiciously wet._

"_You... _No_!" The word explodes out of him like a gunshot. He doesn't know where it's come from, but he feels bone-deep that he believes it. "No! I won't! I can't! You really expect me to- to just _leave_ all of you here?_!_" All of them remain silent, and it seems terribly quiet in the aftermath of his outburst. Finally, he whispers, "... I can't abandon you to these people."_

_Kluke opens her mouth to say something, but it's Tsubasa that ends up speaking, "Aniki, you have to go. None of us want you to have to go through... whatever we're going to have to go through. But more than that, Kluke almost got killed trying to set you free. You don't want to throw it back in her face, do you?"_

_The words are well-meaning and without ill thought, but it still feels like a slap - because it's the truth._

"_Please, Shu." Kluke's voice trembles. He looks up, and thinks that it's the closest to tears he's seen her for a long time. "We... We weren't able to stop this from happening. But... Let me at least save you. Give me the chance to make something right."_

_Feeling disgusted with himself and deeply shamed, Shu manages to hoarsely ask, "What do I need to do?"_

* * *

><p>"Shiomizu!<em>!<em>!"

He jumps, yelping slightly. He looks around, quick and confused, vision still blurred with sleep. Colors swirl crazily through his line of sight, suggesting shapes and objects that he currently doesn't have a hope of understanding. He gives his head a hard shake, trying to clear it of the fog. When he opens his eyes again, things are clear enough for him to recognize that he's in the casino.

"I'm not paying you to nap, Shiomizu!_!_" His boss shouts in his ear, nearly sending him off the stool and onto the floor. "If I catch you slacking off _one more time_, it's coming out of your wages! Got it?_!_"

"Understood, sir." Keeping his voice clear enough to be intelligible is a struggle, but he seems to be somewhat successful because his boss gives a curt nod before sauntering away.

Shu exhales a breath in relief. He can't wait for this debt to be paid off.

At least then he'll be able to stay moving. Less time to dream. Less time to remember.

He presses hard against his forehead with the heel of his hand, as if the pressure from his palm alone will abolish the memories that haunt him. _I shouldn't have left. I should have stayed. I should have stayed with her-_

"Are you okay, Shu?"

He opens his eyes and sees Bouquet staring at him with concern, empty silver tray tucked against her side. A strange thought strikes him just now - could it be that... Bouquet is his second chance? He failed with Kluke. Horribly, at that. But... Maybe he has a chance to keep her safe, like Kluke did with him. Maybe he can make things right, too.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He smiles at her slightly. "Go ahead, don't worry about me. We'll talk later, okay?"

If that idle musing is true, then he will protect Bouquet. He will do the right thing, no matter how hard it might be or how impossible it may seem.

Besides... That's what Kluke would have wanted.

* * *

><p>She looks around warily before continuing down the path. The night is still and peaceful. But that doesn't mean that she's going to let her guard down.<p>

Things are getting risky. Rosenkreuz is on the move, taking more and more land by the day. Just what is Rogi playing at? Not that it really matters to her. If necessary, she'll adapt to the circumstances. She always does.

Her destination is near. The sun is starting to rise, and she can see its light glinting on the white stone surfaces of the tallest buildings.

_Paradise is on the horizon._ She smiles; the irony is not lost on her. After all, she knows things about this "Paradise" that only a chosen few are aware of.

She continues forward, drawing her cloak about her tighter and more securely. "Will they find what they seek, I wonder?"

"I wonder! I wonder!"

* * *

><p>It's morning when he wakes up.<p>

For a moment, he's so feels so comfortable and safe, he thinks that he's home.

And then he has to remind himself that there is no more home.

"There you are. I was wondering when you were going to wake up."

He turns his head towards her voice, sounding hoarse and groggy as he says her name, "Kluke...?"

"It's me." He watches as she scoots closer to his bed. "How are you feeling?"

He rubs the back of his hand across his forehead. "Like someone's been pounding my head with a hammer." He sits himself up, gripping the bedclothes when everything seems to wobble precariously. "Kluke... How did I get here?" Suddenly, he becomes more alert. "Where is Zola?"

"She's fine. Worried about you. I think. It's kind of hard to tell with her sometimes, you know? Though I like to think that I know her well enough by now to tell the difference." Kluke laughs lightly. There's a strange note in it, one that Jiro can't place. She continues before he has a chance to wonder about it more, though that same peculiar thing persists, "You gave both of us quite a scare, Jiro."

And then he thinks he might know what it is.

_Is... Kluke _worried_ about me?_ He supposes that it makes sense, in a way, but it's just so foreign to have someone concerned about him again, Jiro doesn't quite know what to make of it. "Well, I think I'm alright now." He glances down at the bandaging covering various parts of his body. "Thank you for taking care of me, Kluke."

She fiddles with her fingers, suddenly seeming almost... shy. _Kluke?_ Shy_?_ The Kluke he knows is open and likes to make jokes. The very thought of the notion is preposterous. She mumbles, "I'm just glad you're alright- Jiro, what are you _doing_?"

He blinks at her, legs swung over the side of the bed. "I'm getting up. If I'm better, there's no reason to lay around." She yelps in protest as he stands. It takes a moment to get his footing, but then he finds his balance and straightens up.

"You- you can't just get up and _leave_," Kluke sputters, looking more flustered and unsure than he's ever seen her.

"Zola and I have to head west as quickly as possible." He doesn't particularly know _why_ - she's never said anything. But he suspects (_hopes_) that it might have something to do with the severe headaches, and maybe even their cure. "It's urgent."

"But- At least me look you over." Her chin sets determinedly. "I promise I'll be quick."

As she said, Kluke is fast about checking his injuries. The damage is healing well, though, so Kluke has no choice but to concede. Jiro feels both triumphant and guilty about that.

He grins slightly afterwards, a bit sheepish. "So, do I pass?"

The corner of her mouth twitches upward. "Just barely." Kluke pushes herself up and out of the crouch with a sigh. "I wish you wouldn't do such dangerous things."

"Comes with the territory." He shrugs, an odd urge to laugh bubbling up in his chest. Kluke makes him feel like that sometimes, just makes him so unbelievably _happy_. "At least it makes things more interesting."

She laughs, surprised, like she wasn't expecting it. He doesn't dare to hope for it, but... Maybe Jiro makes _her_ feel like that, too. "I don't know what I'm going to do with you."

"You'll have plenty of time to think about it," he searches the room with his eyes and soon discovers what he's looking for; he crosses to the opposite of the room and picks up his sheathed sword from where it's been propped up against the wall next to the door. He loops the strap over his head, fastening it and making sure it's secure. "I have to head out with Zola soon, but..." He hesitates, wondering how to say this without making... _things_... seem overly obvious. "I'll come back and see you as soon as I can."

Her lips curve into a small, sad smile. "Don't keep me waiting."

"I won't." He nods in return, quick in lowering his head down but slow to bring it up. Checking the fastenings of his sword one last time, Jiro places his hand on the doorknob-

"Jiro, hold on a minute!"

Something in her voice - desperation, maybe? - pulls him up short. He turns, looking at her questioningly.

"I..." Her hand is raised in the air, reaching towards him like she could pull him back. "I have something important to tell you."

He smiles at her, genuine and true. Kluke is the only one who seems able to do that anymore. "Tell me when I come back."

Jiro opens the door, trying not to see the desperate look on Kluke's face while trying to ignore his own lightheadedness, brought about by both his words and hers.

* * *

><p><strong>I apologize if the "favorite things" scene was boring andor grating. Believe it or not, some of those things **_**will**_** actually mean something later on.**


	5. Chapter Five

**[November 12th – November 16th]**

* * *

><p>Shu sighs, feeling nearly as irritated as the day he discovered he was going to be guarding a casino indefinitely.<p>

It's Sunday. And as Bouquet had pointed out when they had their little "favorite things" conversation, today is her day off.

And no Bouquet means that Shu is now in a _horrible mood_.

In addition, Sunday is the day that he gets an extended lunch break - two hours as apposed to one - and that should be a reward, but it just makes everything so much _worse_.

Can't win for losing.

He kicks up some dust, glancing around. The marketplace of Heliwood is pitiful compared to Talta's. Oh, it has a lot of different stands and stalls, that's for sure - if he were ten again and had his now-dead innocence back, he'd be wide-eyed and gaping as he walked through the streets brimming with such a large variety of wares.

But now, as he is, all he can think is that he can't detect the scent of spices nor the burning wood of the (_his_, his and _Ojiichan's_) forge, and there isn't enough sand and the sand that _is_ around doesn't smell right besides.

... He wishes he could go home.

But he doesn't even know if it's _there_ anymore.

Shu shakes his head. It doesn't matter, and this line of thought is _unproductive_. He lifts his gaze once more, trying not to wrinkle his nose in disdain (after all, it's not the market's fault it can't compete with what he grew up with for ten years); if he's here, he might as well see about buying some lunch. He fingers the gold and paper money in his pockets, looking around for anything that might be promising...

He sees a cart of apples, all decent-looking, and his mood lifts slightly. Well. Perhaps this day won't be so bad after all.

Apples make _everything_ better.

"Two, please." With little more than a passing glance at the owner of the fruit stand, he roots through his pockets for the appropriate payment - one in paper. Then he adds five in gold, "Actually, make it three." He exchanges the money for the fruit. "Thanks." He nods in appreciation. Giving one of the shiny red fruits a quick toss in the air, he turns to go-

Then stops, pausing, looking in the opposite direction of the way back to the casino when something catches his eye.

He sees a girl, looking to be in the middle of a purchase. Shu can't see her face, but her hair is... pretty, to the say least. The black locks are long, going past her _waist_, and it shines like a raven feather in the sunlight. At the very back of her head, there's a barrette in the shape of brightly colored flowers. Just as he's thinking how it makes her stick out in the crowd for some reason, she starts to go-

-and she's leaving behind the basket of the food she _just_ _purchased_.

He shouldn't care, shouldn't want to get involved. But he keeps thinking of Bouquet, and how disappointed she would be if she knew he'd just let some girl throw her money away when he could do something about it.

With a sigh, Shu moves towards the basket by long strides, plucking it up and hoping that she'll hear him when he calls, "Hey, you forgot something!"

By some strange luck, the girl turns, her white sundress with light blue hem fluttering with the movement, her long hair whirling around her as she spins on the spot-

And his throat tightens as he realizes it's Bouquet.

He sees her as if it's for the first time. And, really, it _is_ the first time he's seen her like this, out of uniform with her hair (mostly) down. The sundress hangs lightly on her frame, the band of light blue on the straps and top of the dress as well (speaking of which, in the chest area it leaves about as little to the imagination as her "uniform" - and he is _not_ thinking about that starting _right now_). The wooden sandals on her feet are almost like dress shoes, each one tied in a design around her ankles; he's seeing her legs bare for the first time, and it's strange but not in a bad way. And her hair hangs on each side of her face, slightly familiar from the way her pigtails sometimes tumble partly over her shoulders, yet it almost makes her look like a different person.

Before, when he hadn't known it was her, she had been pretty.

Now that she's Bouquet, she's breathtaking.

She goes from surprised to giddy. "Shu! It's you!" Bouquet skips over to him, practically bouncing on her heels in delight, and his own disposition rapidly improves for the better. "Wow, I didn't think I'd see you here!"

His sudden grin is almost a reflex, it feels so natural. "Neither did I. Oh, and I think this belongs to you." He offers up the basket like a gift.

Bouquet giggles sheepishly, taking it from him. "Sorry. This isn't the first time I've done that, I'm afraid to say." She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, and it makes his stomach do this odd fluttering-wobbling _thing_. Suddenly, with her seeming more... feminine, somehow, in the light dress, it makes him very aware that he's a _boy_ and she's a _girl_. Yes, that had kind of been obvious from day one (especially considering the circumstances they met under), but... "It's nice to see you. I didn't think I would until tomorrow."

And he doesn't know why, but breathing is suddenly a ridiculously hard task, his palms are so sweaty that he has to wipe them on the brown denim of his shorts, and for the first time in a long while he doesn't feel like a soldier but a _little boy_. "So, uh... You find any interesting food?" _Interesting food? Are you _insane_?_ He's starting to wish that the ground would swallow him up. It has to be less humiliating than this.

She tilts her head to the side, in a way that reminds him of a bird, blinking at him a few times before she grins slightly. Her hair slips over her shoulder, the same way it does when it's in pigtails, and he feels a peculiar shiver in his spine. "Yes, I think I did. I was planning on doing some baking, you know." She seems a little anxious for a moment, eyes taking on a nervous shine, but then she's asking him, "You want to come over to my house for lunch?"

Hazy memories of eating sandwiches with Kluke at his house or Toyodeh's float up like a long-forgotten dream, stories and laughter exchanged between the two of them, a higher currency than money could ever buy. Distantly, Shu hears himself say, "Sure. That sounds great."

* * *

><p>The inside of Bouquet's house is quaint, little decorations scattered about - a vase of flowers on the windowsill, a bowl of fruit on the counter, a small painting of a valley hanging on the wall. The walls and floor are clay, though, and for a moment, Shu is hit hard with a strong wave of homesickness.<p>

Taking a seat at the round table near the kitchen area, he watches as Bouquet places the basket next to the fruit bowl, skimming through the contents and separating them into three different piles, though he isn't sure what makes one different from the other. She glances over her shoulder at him, "I still haven't made much of anything yet, but... I did make some bread earlier. Do you mind having that with some cheese?"

He shakes his head. "No, that's fine." All the while wondering what exactly she intends to make. (And secretly hoping that it won't take _too_ long to prepare - while he would rather be here with Bouquet than at the casino, somehow he seriously doubts that his boss will share this opinion.)

A bite or two in, and then Shu starts scarfing down the food. He didn't expect it, but it tastes like the best meal he's had since he came to Heliwood. Which makes little sense, because it's only _cheese and bread_. Maybe it's the simplicity of it. Or perhaps the way that Bouquet keeps smiling at him every once in a while as she bustles around the kitchen area makes it taste better, and everything as a whole seem far more _wonderful_.

Shu feels like he's falling, just a little bit, and it doesn't feel bad at all.

After a while, she sits down directly across from him, sighing as she leans back in the chair. "It should be done in twenty minutes." Bouquet places her folded hands on the table, and he can't help but notice the novelty of seeing her wrists bare.

He slides his gaze over to the kitchen. He sees a bowl and bag of flour, but the rest of the ingredients are out of his view. It isn't much to go on. "What _are_ you making, anyway?"

"Oh..." Bouquet freezes. "Um... I-it... It's a surprise!" The last part is said in a rush that leaves her wincing slightly afterwards.

"Surprise, huh?" He grins. "Alright, then. So be it."

The two of them lapse into relatively meaningless conversation, though Shu - as always when Bouquet talks to him - is hanging on her every word.

...He likes being around her, he realizes. It should have been obvious to him, and maybe he _had_ been aware of it, but... It isn't until this moment that he fully acknowledges it.

Shu doesn't mind as much as he thought he would. In fact, he doesn't mind at all.

With a pang, he remembers that this won't last. One day, that debt will be paid off, and then he and Bouquet will part ways. This was something he'd been looking forward to, to finally be rid of this place and move on. Now, the thought is painful.

"Oh!" Bouquet's gasp startles him out of his thoughts. She has wide eyes trained on a spot up and behind him. When he turns to see, his gaze lands on the hanging clock. He hears the scrape of the chair, twisting back around just as she stands. "I have to go pull out the-" She brakes off. "U-um, I mean. I- I need to go in the kitchen for a minute."

Shu barely manages to hide a grin before she dashes away.

There's a clatter of pans as Bouquet darts to and fro about the counters. After the few moments have gone by, she sounds both stern and timid as she says, "Shu, close your eyes." And then she tacks on a rather small, "Please?"

He shuts them without further prompting. "This must be quite the surprise if you're going through all of this trouble." And what could it be, really? It's not like she was... _planning_ on him being here, was she?

... Hm.

_Interesting_.

He guesses at the sounds, though he's pretty sure his estimation is accurate (there's so only so many things it could be, after all) - the clatter of dishes; a gasp or two from Bouquet; and finally, a plate being set down on the table. "Okay. You can open them now."

He does, and what he sees makes the breath catch in his throat.

Bouquet smiles at him shyly, twisting her hands behind her back. "I... didn't know if you'd like it, but... You said anything with apples, right?"

Pie. Apple pie. His favorite. The last time he'd had it-

_Toyodeh mumbling, Hibiki grinning, Kluke laughing-_

Under the table, Shu lets his hands tighten into fists where Bouquet can't see, hard enough so that the nails dig in; the pain is a lifeline, a counterpoint against the guilt and self-hate swirling inside of him like a storm. "... I did. And this is my favorite thing with apples in it, too. Thank you, Bouquet."

_Make some new memories,_ a voice whispers in his head, sounding so much like Kluke - even down to that endearing way she chuckles as she talks. _I think you need a change, Shu._

As Bouquet giggles and serves up the pie, Shu doesn't think that'll be hard at all.

* * *

><p>"You know, I don't think staring into the lake is going to help anything."<p>

Andropov scowls at his own reflection. Yes, perhaps the lake doesn't hold the answers to all of his problems.

But Schneider doesn't have to _rub it in_!

"Come on, kid," Schneider waves towards the fort. "Let's get going, before Matilda gets cranky. You know how the captain is when she gets into a _mood_."

Well, now, that's a bit of a stretch. He knows that others get intimidated by Matilda's famous glare, but Andropov really doesn't. Honestly, if they can't deal with that, how do they ever put up with working under General Rogi?

Still. It's the principle of the thing. "Alright, alright. I'm coming." He straightens, gives the lake a long, hard look. It's good to be back. It's not home - _never_, _ever_ home - but it's good to be near Rogi-sama again.

But there - at the back of his mind, a constant presence, is Kluke. He still doesn't know what to do, and he's here now, with no time or chances left to figure it out.

He hopes his hunch is wrong.

(It rarely is.)

Andropov turns away from the lake and doesn't look back.

* * *

><p>"Rogi-sama, I'm sorry to disturb you, but I have urgent news."<p>

He glances up from a sea of paperwork to see Matilda standing in the middle of his office. He can tell from the hard set of her jaw that it's serious. He pushes the stacks of papers to the far corner of his desk with a secret gratitude; when people talk of leadership, no one ever says anything about the incessant nonsense that comes hand in hand. "Go ahead, Matilda."

"Our men have spotted Resistance Leader Legolas."

Rogi's head jerks in surprise. His mind immediately goes to work, planning possible strategies and contingencies... "Where? When?"

"In the city of Heliwood, one of three settled areas within the desert, and one of the most predominate cities on the western side of the continent. The troops found him in a... most peculiar situation, though they seemed reluctant to report anything specific. He was discovered this afternoon, at precisely half past twelve." Matilda pauses for only a moment. "Would you like us to move in?"

Rogi threads his gloved fingers together, resting his chin on top of them. "No... No, not yet. But soon. Call the men back to Albarose. We will make the preparations here, and move out in a larger force." He drops his hands, tightening them in both anticipation and determination. "And then, we will take Heliwood."

* * *

><p>The days go past. Then days turn into a week. And a week turns into two.<p>

Shu goes over to Bouquet's house the following Sunday as well, and even though it's only the second time, it already feels routine. Natural.

But the Sunday after _that_ - today - Bouquet has come to him.

She presents him the bento with a blush. "I like having you come over to my house, but... You were almost late getting back to work last week, and I don't want you to get in trouble because of me." He doesn't really know why, but she seems terribly timid for some reason.

Shu takes it from her, nodding as he murmurs, "Thank you." And he feels a vague kind of embarrassment, because a girl giving a bento to a boy is supposed to have some kind of special (surely girl-thought-up) _meaning_ to it, isn't it-?

...Oh.

So _that's_ what has her flustered.

The minutes tick by in awkward silence.

Eventually, though, Shu fishes around for some chopsticks and starts eating. Uncomfortable situation or not, he isn't about to waste food that Bouquet worked this hard to make.

The first bite has him stopping in his tracks.

She's fiddling with her hands again. "How... How is it?"

"Good. Really good." It's _fantastic_, to be more precise. He takes another mouthful, humming in appreciation. Bouquet knows how to _cook_. "You're really great at cooking," he flinches slightly, because he hadn't wanted to just come out and say it so directly; he has a suspicion about this and wanted to find out the answer more carefully than this stumbling excuse of an approach. "Where'd you learn how to make stuff like this?" _You're horrible at this talking thing. Really._

Bouquet's eyes get that distant look, fleeting but noticeable. He's been a soldier too long not to pick up on details, however small or brief. "... My grandmother taught me."

_As I thought._

"You grew up with her, then?"

"I... No." Her lips twist downward, quick, like she's wringing them out. In under a second, she's worrying the bottom one between her teeth. "I didn't."

He waits, but no other answer is forthcoming. The unusual behavior makes something prickle in the back of his mind. Bouquet is the most open person he's ever met; she doesn't just _stop talking_. There's a warning singing through him, but he doesn't know what it's for. "So your parents raised you?"

"No."

He puts the chopsticks down. "If I remember correctly, you said something about going with your parents during the Winter Solstice to your grandmother's house." Shu starts feeling uneasy as Bouquet begins to squirm. "If it wasn't your parents, then who-"

Her voice is very quiet when she says, "No one did."

... Shu _really_ doesn't know what to say to that.

"I... can't really tell you why," her eyes dart left and right, almost like she's afraid of something. "But... I grew up in this little village. No one really paid much attention to me. I usually stayed with this innkeeper... She didn't like me very much." Bouquet grabs her almost-bare shoulders. "And... Well, you know how clumsy I can be. And she _really_ didn't like it when I made too many mistakes." Something flickers in her eyes again, this time dark and painful.

Suddenly, two things become terribly, horribly clear to Shu: why Bouquet doesn't really _get_ people at all. And why she tries so very hard to get everyone to like her.

_What am I going to do?_ He thinks wretchedly. _How can I just abandon her when I leave Heliwood?_ She's already spent the majority of her life with no one to take care of her; that should make it better, but it just makes it worse. For a moment, he entertains the thought of asking her to come with him; it isn't like she has anything holding her here, right? Still, for her to uproot herself from her life so suddenly... Would she even be willing to do that?

There's no time to think about it anymore, because Bouquet is speaking again, "I looked forward to the Solstice so much... That was the time that I got to see my parents and my siblings, and my grandma... It was my only source of happiness." Her hands tighten on her arms. "And then they were in a carriage accident when I was six," she says the words slowly, like they're rehearsed; like she's heard them a thousand times, and there's something odd about it but Shu doesn't understand what it is. "And I was never really happy again." She tilts her head towards him. "Until I met you."

"Bouquet... I'm sorry." He doesn't know if that's what he should be saying, but nothing else really seems right. "I-"

"What about your parents?"

The question catches him so off guard that he isn't quite sure what to do. It feels faintly reminiscent of when he'd flipped over that table the night they met; so sure that there would be something under his feet, and the shock of having that sureness snatched away. "I'm... not exactly sure what you mean. What about them?"

"Well, I told you about mine just now," she says matter-of-factly. "It only seems fair."

_Throwing my words back at me, eh?_ He should be irritated, but he only finds amusement and faint endearment in its place. He sighs, taking the plunge; even talking about it will probably be like a dagger to the heart, but if he's quick it shouldn't be as painful. (And it's been _six years_, he should be _over this_ by now but-) "My mother raised me. She died when I was six, from a landslide." His throat gets tight. "An accident." _An accident that was all your fault-_

"What about your dad?"

And it shouldn't bring up such a response, but the grief from Mom has been brought to the forefront and he _can't deal with it_, it's _too much_ - and what escapes him is a harsh, "Who _cares_?"

Bouquet is taken aback for a moment, but she recovers quickly. "Well, he's your dad. Don't _you_?"

"No." He bites out the words, bitter and full of resentment and grief. "God willing, he's dead. And good riddance." _If I could, I'd kill him myself._

Bouquet's eyes are wide and... teary? He's too riled up to properly identify what's going on with her. "But... how could you feel that way-?"

"Because he's a _traitor_!_!_!" The words explode out of him; they've been bottled up for ten years, brewing and growing and just _waiting_ for an outlet. He barely even sees or hears Bouquet now. "He's a traitor that abandoned me and my mom to go get killed in some stupid war! I'm _glad_ he's dead! It's what he _deserves_!_!_" There's a wordless scream echoing through him, craving to be let out - _I hate him, I hate him, I hate him, I hate him, I hate him_-

But Bouquet is only staring at him, and those tears he thought he saw were real, and she looks like he's _hurt her_-

Unacceptable.

He's shaking and angry and sad and hating himself and hating his father and it's _just too much_.

And so Shu does the first thing that comes to mind.

He runs away.

* * *

><p>"You're an idiot, Shiomizu," Shu mumbles at the wall. "You are <em>such an idiot<em>."

Talking to bathroom walls seems rather pointless, though, all things considered. (And the casino _did_ have a public restroom - but he hadn't known this until he'd been working for here for a week, had been heading back to the LPG's temporary home every time he had to use the bathroom, and he still isn't really sure whether that says something about this place or him.) It won't erase his mistakes or solve his problems.

But Shu doubts that he can do that successfully on his own.

... Man, he really screwed up this time.

Bouquet is avoiding him; that's obvious. Whenever she seems him, she goes the other way. If their paths cross, she ducks away from him.

He feels the keen edge of her absence, that constant knife-pain of loss. He's been consoling himself that perhaps it's easier this way; he can cut off all attachment to her and pretend that they never become close (he _told_ himself not to do it, he hadn't _listened_).

It isn't working.

Every time he closes his eyes, he sees her amethyst eyes and smells that dumb-wonderful pie and hears her bell-like laughter.

She's haunting him alive.

A first for him, he thinks.

The others he knows usually do it after they're dead and gone.

"I have to make this right," he says to the bathroom wall again, who seems to be fast becoming a close and trusted confidant. "I don't know how, but I can't leave things like this between us." Even if she doesn't want to be friends anymore... So be it. But he refuses to not apologize, to just _not say anything_.

For things to end up this way... All because of some old scars reopened at the worst possible time...

He's so _stupid_.

With a sigh, he pushes away from the wall and walks back into the hustle and bustle of the casino. It's both relieving and aggravating.

He zeroes in on the poker table area, looking around for Bouquet...

She isn't there.

The warning bells start to ring in his head again.

Bracing himself, Shu strides over to one of the bunny girls, and asks without preamble, "Do you know where Bouquet is?"

She seems taken aback by the question, but then shrugs. "I think she said something to the boss about taking an early night, working overtime tomorrow to make up for it."

Dread trickles down his spine like a cold sweat. "Thanks." With no word to anyone else, he leaves the casino.

Desert nights are cold; people who don't live in them seem surprised by this sometimes - and that seems weird to _him_ - but it's true. Talta was (_is_) like this, and Heliwood is the same.

Shu shivers as the chilly night air brushes his arms and shins, and the small bit of neck that his bandanna doesn't cover. He strains desperately with his mind, trying to remember the direction of Bouquet's house...

Frustration boils over and urgency propels him forward - Shu picks a path and hopes he hasn't made a mistake.

His feet pound against the packed ground (_hardly any of it gets in his shoes; it doesn't feel right_), his breath coming out in harsh pants that he half-expects to be visible, with how cold it is. Things go by in a blur, and the horrid thought strikes him that maybe in his blind rushing he's somehow missed it-

A scream echoes through the night.

_Oh, God, no..._

Shu runs with everything he's got, because he knows that it's her - and time is running out.

Her screams take on a more sobbing, hysterical edge, and Shu throws himself into the steps, feeling his lungs start to ache but unable to care because he _has to get to Bouquet, before it's too late_-

Shu rounds the corner, and she's there.

It takes a moment for his brain to catch up, to see the whole picture - one of her hair ties is gone, a heel is missing, her tights are torn, the not-swimsuit has holes in it, and she's practically wailing as she curls up from where she lays on the ground.

Then he registers that a man is standing over her, the same one from before-

-and suddenly Shu's sword is drawn and its edge is against the man's throat, both of them on the ground, and Shu isn't quite sure how he got there. He has a gap in his memory, even though it's only a few seconds long, and it should bother him at least a _little_ but he barely even notices it. "_You_," his voice is thick and low with rage, and he barely recognizes it as his own, "I told you what would happen if you came near her again-"

"Shu, stop!" He's distantly aware of hands tugging at his shirt, of Bouquet's gasping voice close to his ear. "Please stop! He didn't do anything, _please_-"

"She's right." The man's voice shakes. He doesn't seem to have his confidence or arrogance anymore; now he seems desperate and afraid. Shu thinks, in a part of his mind that's only watching this unfold, that the man must see the killing intent in Shu's eyes. _Good,_ dark satisfaction spreads through him as he bears his teeth. _He should be afraid of me. My threats are never empty._

"That's not a good enough reason." He presses down his sword, hearing his blood rushing in his ears. He's never killed before, has never wanted to, but right now the prospect seems enticing and brilliant. Easy, it would be so _easy_, so _satisfactory_, to slit the throat of this sorry excuse for a man (_animal_, he's an _animal_ to try and do this to her)-

"Don't do it, Shu." Bouquet's tears soak his back. "Please. Please."

"Why should I let him live?" His voice is cold and nothing like him, and something in him that he thought was long dead - something in him that's still ten - cries out to listen to her.

"Because killing him is something that _he_ would do." For all of its trembling, Bouquet's voice is firm and clear. "And you're nothing like him, Shu."

The bloodlust withers in him as quickly as it had come. Clarity hits him like ice water to the face, and he starts to shake as he realizes what could have happened just now - what almost _did_ happen, if it weren't for Bouquet. To have such a lapse...

Disgraceful.

"Bouquet," Shu clears his throat, though he knows it won't help very much. "I need you to do something for me. The- the house where the Resistance is, the one I pointed out to you-" He swallows hard, thinking suddenly and with desperate longing of Ojisan. _Please let him be the one to come._ "I need you to go there and tell someone - it doesn't matter who - that I have someone for arrest."

* * *

><p>Bouquet is scared.<p>

Not for herself; not anymore. And really, having the bad man looming over her and looking at her with something like hunger is probably the scariest moment of her life.

But, no. That moment of fear has come and gone. Right now, she's afraid for Shu.

He hasn't stopped trembling. Even after she tightened her arms around him, and pressed herself close to his side, burying herself against his chest - he _won't stop trembling_.

And Bouquet is afraid, because Shu looks afraid, and his face is so pale and drawn and he looks like he did when he told her about the recruits being raped, except somehow his expression seems even _more_ horrified and it doesn't make any _sense_-

She takes a shaky breath, lets it out again. Her thoughts are ping-ponging out of control. She has to calm down. Or try to, if nothing else. The last thing Shu needs is for her to be hysterical right now.

Bouquet just wishes she knew how to _fix_ all of this.

One bright spot is the older, redhead girl that Shu called Hannah. She seems a little rough, but there's something strong and reassuring about her that makes Bouquet feel more at ease.

The nice man - Dragnov, his name is Dragnov; she remembers Shu talking about him and calling him Ojisan - is reassuring too. Whenever he goes through the room, it feels like everything is going to be better. She thinks she understands why to Shu, he's "Ojisan" and not just "Dragnov".

"Ojisan," Shu calls to him now as Dragnov goes past, sounding hoarse and sad and it makes her eyes sting- "How... What's the situation?" He's trying and failing to sound strong.

"The man has been locked into the city dungeon. He'll have a trial in the morning." He takes a seat beside Shu, the side that Bouquet isn't occupying. "Apparently, this was far from the first time he's been charged with such a crime."

"Ojisan," Shu's voice shakes. He seems so miserable and Bouquet just doesn't know what to _do_. "I- I almost _killed_ him." He chokes on the words. "If it hadn't been for Bouquet," she fidgets a bit at being mentioned, "I would have killed him. I could have killed him..."

"Killed him"; Shu keeps saying that, has been saying that over and over to himself and whoever he's talking to, like he can't stop, like his mind is caught on that phrase - trapped by it - and can't escape.

"But you didn't." Dragnov tells him, firm and sure. "You stopped yourself."

"I almost lost control," it comes out of Shu like a cry. "You- you _warned_ me to stop getting so angry, and I didn't, and I nearly-"

"_Shu_." Dragnov brings him up short. "'Almost' doing something is not the same as doing it. You could have lost control. But you didn't. That is not a failure." The older man smiles. "I'm proud of you, Shu."

"How can you be proud of me?" Bouquet feels him shudder against her side. "After what I did..."

"You saved a girl, a dear friend of yours," Dragnov nods at her; Bouquet feels bashfully pleased, "from one who would have harmed her, and you kept yourself from taking things a step too far." He rests a large hand on Shu's shoulder. "How can I not be proud of you?"

"Ojisan..." Shu shuts his eyes, leaning into the touch. A tear streaks out of the closed lids, and without thinking, so distraught over him being upset, Bouquet reaches out and brushes it away.

Shu's eyes snap open in surprise, a blush overtaking his face. Dragnov laughs heartily. "Well, in terms of comforting, it looks like I've been beaten."

And then Shu smiles then - it's small and strained but it's a _smile_, and Bouquet thinks with a grin of her own that Dragnov really _does_ have a knack for making everything right.

* * *

><p>Shu riffles through the cluster of bags holding the belongings of each Resistance member, until he finally turns up with his own. Once he's found it, he quickly searches for it before turning up with what he's looking for. He stands, turning and holding it out. "Here," the brown denim jacket hangs from his fingers as he offers it to Bouquet. "I'm supposed to use this for my winter gear, but... I think it'll be more helpful to you than to me." He doubts he'll be heading to any cold places anytime soon.<p>

She takes it, face a picture of gratitude. "Thank you. But... Don't you need it?"

He shrugs. "Not much." Shu chuckles a bit. "It's kind of stupid, really. I've been with the army for two years, and not once have I worn that thing outside of having my picture taken for the Resistance's records. Anyway..." He trails off, shoulders lifting again offhandedly.

Bouquet nods, then slips it on. The sleeves are longer on her than on Shu (wow, he didn't realize her arms were shorter than his) but it fits relatively well. She pulls it tighter around herself, smiling as she sinks into the rough but warming fabric. "Thank you, Shu," she says it once more. "I really appreciate it."

He scratches the back of his neck, feeling awkward and halfway to tongue-tied. "Y... You're welcome." _Besides, it's not like I could have just let her leave like that._ Through the holes in her outfit, he could see the exposed pale skin of her stomach and ribs. "I'm going to walk you home. Unless," the words come out in an anxious rush, because even after everything that's happened tonight he doesn't know where he and Bouquet stand with each other, "you'd rather I had someone else-"

"No, that's fine." The words are soft and gentle, and Shu suddenly doesn't feel as tense anymore. "I... That'd be great."

Taking a moment to tell the others where he's going and that he'll return shortly - Hayate is smirking up a storm, and Shu _knows_ he'll be in for a whole round of teasing when he gets back - he hurries over to Bouquet and the two of them head outside.

The air is crisp, not as bitingly frigid as it had been before (though he wonders now if some of that was just panic on his part). He's always preferred hotter temperatures - it's what he's used to, what he _knows_ - but right now, the cold is a relief. The enormity of what-had-almost-happened-but-didn't had been heavy and suffocating. It's better now, though, thanks to Ojisan.

Walking to Bouquet's house is a shorter trip than he anticipated, and before Shu knows it he's standing in front of her door. "Thank you for bringing me, Shu." She starts to pull his jacket off her shoulders. "Here-"

"Don't," he says quickly. "Keep it."

"But... What if you need it?"

Shu grins slightly. "Then I'll come and get it from you."

Bouquet smiles herself, and says again, "Thank you."

"Uh..." The nerves come back with a vengeance, and _why are his hands sweating_? "You should probably get inside and get some rest. It's been a long night."

"Okay." She nods, moving to open the door before turning back to him again. "Thanks again, Shu. And... I'll see you tomorrow." With a little wave, even though her hand is half-buried in the sleeve, she enters the house and shuts the door.

Shu sighs, rubbing his palms against his shorts in the hopes of getting them to dry. He's getting too old for this.

But... Bouquet had said _tomorrow_, and that's something to hope for.

* * *

><p>She bites her nail, glancing out of the window at the setting sun.<p>

They aren't back yet.

Kluke is _worried_.

And really, they're still children - she wishes that she was, too, but there's no point in wishing for things she can't have (like _him_, but she did the right thing in getting him away so why does she have to _miss_ him so much) - and that means that they need to get outside and burn off some energy. Frequently, too.

But... They haven't come _back_, and it's getting _late_, and-

There are rumors that Rosenkreuz is preparing to make a very large move. No one knows where, but it has everyone stepping on eggshells and trying not to lift their heads too high if they spot any army people around.

...Why can't they just come back already?

She thinks of Andropov and Jiro suddenly, though she doesn't know why... It only hikes up her concern even more, which is really something she could do without right now, but... She can't help wondering if Andropov is involved in all of this war business. From the moment she saw him, he gave her the impression that he wasn't just some boy helping out on his family's farm, to say the least.

And Jiro...

She bites her lip hard, ashamed of herself. God, why hadn't she seen it?_!_ She's such a fool! Worse, she should have stopped Jiro from leaving and told him about-

The front door swings open and all of a sudden it becomes far easier to breathe.

She opens her mouth, already prepared to go into full-on scolding mode, but Hibiki beats her to it. "She found strawberries!" His hands are filled with the little red berries; he holds them up like some kind of peace offering, though he seems oblivious as to why one might be needed.

Tsubasa, however, is faster on the uptake. Despite holding a cloth bag stained red at the bottom (no doubt from the tiny fruits), he looks guilty as he rubs the back of his ankle with his shoe, his expression both anxious and appealing. He knows they're in for a talking to.

Taichi, on the other hand, is not oblivious like Hibiki nor aware like Tsubasa - he's bent over panting and is focused entirely on breathing. Ack. The boys ran too fast for him again.

A _double_ talking to.

Kluke narrows her eyes. 'She' is not here, and that means there's only one thing left to do.

Hibiki blinks up at her, still blissfully unaware, as she stomps towards the entrance with a purpose. "Kluke, where are you going?"

She doesn't even turn around. "Where do you _think_ I'm going?"

There's a certain berry picker out there somewhere, and Kluke is going to have some _words_ for her.

* * *

><p>Shu sighs, leaning back against the wall as he crosses his legs at the ankle. Glancing upward, he notes that the Big Moon is full tonight.<p>

He didn't _have_ to stay late at the casino, but he's decided that from now on, he's always going to walk Bouquet home. No more chances, especially after...

Shu shakes off the thought.

Where _is_ Bouquet, though? His eyes dart toward the back door. He knows she has to get her things and lock up the front door, but _surely_ it couldn't take this long...

The moment he finishes thinking it, the back door opens like he's summoned it into being; Shu nearly jumps in surprise. Bouquet walks out, looking abashed. "Sorry, Shu. I... I was looking for something."

"It's fine." He half turns toward the city streets. "You ready?"

"Um, yes, but-" Bouquet swallows; he wonders what's bothering her. "I-I... I need to tell you something first."

"Alright." He settles his stance, trying to seem nonchalant but inwardly full of curiosity. "What is it?"

"Um." She pulls at the end of one of her pigtails, looking down at her feet. "I just... wanted to thank you again, for the other night. You always seem to be saving me." Bouquet lifts her head with quick smile. "And... I have to return the favor twice now, but I think I have something for one of those times." She reaches into her bag and pulls out-

Shu spends a moment staring wordlessly.

"I'm... not sure if you'll like this or not," Bouquet holds it out, "but I couldn't think of what to get you, so I made this for you."

"You... _made_ this?" Shu reaches out and takes the green scarf from Bouquet, holding it as carefully as if it were glass. It's green, the same shade as his bandanna, and feels soft like a feather.

"I-I know it's probably not very good." She ducks her head. "But I worked hard on it. N-not that I want you to stop wearing your bandanna or anything!" She waves her hands in the air rapidly, almost comically. "B-but... Maybe you can wear it just when it gets too cold. I-if you even want to keep it, that is."

Shu smiles, feeling a warmth spread through his chest as his fingers smooth over the fabric appreciatively. "Thank you, Bouquet. I'll keep it close, and I'll wear it if I ever go anywhere cold enough. I promise."

And Shu _does_ jump a little when Bouquet suddenly latches onto his arm. The situation becomes more embarrassing for him when he feels her chest pressing against his limb; his face promptly heats, and he hopes that she won't see any signs of blushing. "I'm glad you like it." Her voice is quiet, but happy.

All things considered, Shu feels pretty happy, too.

* * *

><p>The desert is <em>hot<em>.

Especially during the daytime, when the sun is _right over their heads_.

Jiro groans, resisting the urge to ask Zola to use Killer Bat for transportation. He knows it wears her out, causes her to need tremendous quantities of both food and sleep, among other drawbacks, but they would get wherever they're going so... much... _faster_...

"Are you alright, Jiro?"

Zola. She's looking at him worriedly and expecting an answer, even if it's just little more than a "yes" or "no".

_Ack._

He grew up in a _forest_. He isn't cut out for this nonsense!

Jiro bites back his heat-induced irritation and replies, "I'll be alright." _And I'll be _a whole lot better_ when we get out of this God-forsaken wasteland._ He doubts that Zola wants to hear him whine, though, so he asks instead, "How much longer until we get there, do you think?"

"Unless we run into any unforeseen problems, we should arrive there today."

Today! What a glorious word!

He steels himself against the oppressive temperature. He can do this. It's hard, yes - _definitely_ - but not impossible. He just has to make it through this, and then... And then...

Well. He actually doesn't know _why_ he's here. But _Zola_ does, and that's what's important. And wherever she goes, Jiro goes; that's just how things work.

Besides... Maybe afterwards, he can see Kluke again...

"_Don't keep me waiting."_

No. He _will_ see her again. Jiro's steps become more solid, more sure, jaw setting with determination. Whatever it takes, he'll find a way back to her, if only to find out what she wanted to tell him so desperately.

Suddenly, he becomes aware of an odd rumbling sound.

"Zola..." Jiro goes still. "Do you hear that?"

He has an awful suspicion that he knows what it is.

The fact that Zola has gone tense makes it so much worse.

And then her hand is on his wrist, and she's pulling him quickly forward, to the top of the dune they've been climbing. "Come on!"

He doesn't argue, only quickens his pace so that Zola won't have to drag him.

It seems like it takes forever, but finally they reach the top.

Horror chokes the words from Jiro's throat.

But Zola is still able to speak, even though she sounds hoarse and her expression is grim - both bad signs, because anything that can unnerve Zola must be something terrible indeed. "Rosenkreuz is here," she says, eyes never leaving the battleships. "They're going to take Heliwood." Jiro hears what she doesn't say.

_And anyone who stands in their way is as good as dead._

* * *

><p><strong>The sundress that Bouquet wears is the same as the one she wore as a little girl in Season One's Episode 34. As Shu couldn't help but notice, it looks a little different in the, um… bust area, because Bouquet, um… grew.<strong>

**Shu's feelings towards his father are part of the headcanon I have for the majority of my BDA fics. I didn't expect this story to be the first that broached this subject, but apparently this happens to me a lot.**

**There was an alternate scenario where Shu didn't make it to Bouquet in time, but you guys lucked out because I was feeling nauseous that day. And really, I think that **_**I**_** lucked out too – while I think those kinds of scenes are important in the sense that they need to be written about sometimes, they're sometimes difficult for me to stomach, especially if the victim happens to be one of my favorite characters.**


	6. Chapter Six

**[November 16th – November 20th]**

* * *

><p>He's just finished washing up and is getting ready to leave for the casino when the sirens start.<p>

Shu turns around, sees the faces of his fellow Resistance members, and knows that they're all thinking the same thing.

He watches as Hannah's eyes, sharp and bright, meet Ojisan's across the room. "Dragnov-"

"Everyone gear up." Ojisan says, loud and authoritative, and all of them stand at attention, alert and ready for action. "Whatever the circumstances, we are still the Resistance. And we will defend this city no matter what."

"Yes, sir!" All of them say it as one. An unmovable, unified front.

It's a terrible thing that this is the first time since they've come to Heliwood that they are free.

But as soldiers, it is their duty to defend the people.

And it is time for war.

* * *

><p>"'I'll be quick,' he says," Hannah grumbles, concern making her annoyed, "'I just have to find someone,' he says."<p>

Shu isn't back yet, and some of the Rosenkreuz ships have already landed outside of the city.

They're running out of time.

"Don't tell me you're _worried_ about him, Hannah." Hayate smirks at her. She can tell from the tense undercurrent in his voice that _he's_ worried, too.

Hypocrite.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean." And it's hard to keep the usual level of their banter, since things look so bad right now with only ninety of them against hundreds (she prays it isn't _thousands_), but she tries because it's the only buffer against the rising panic building in her chest.

The odds are against them. What hope do they have of winning?

_You can't think like that,_ the voice in her head sounds like Jonathon. _You can _do_ this, Hannah. As long as you believe._

A corner of her mouth twists, wry and bitter and mourning all at once. Anderson always was an optimist.

Apparently, he's still one in death, too.

She hopes that wherever he is now, that he can hear her, _I wish you were with us._

Hannah gives herself a mental shake. Now isn't the time to get caught up in sentimental gibberish. She needs to _focus_.

And suddenly, Hayate is grabbing her arm and paling at an alarming rate. "Hannah-"

She turns, follows his eyes, and her chest tightens at the utter _hopelessness_ of it all.

A wave of Rosenkreuz soldiers are rushing towards him, and Hannah can't even count how many of them there are.

* * *

><p>"Rosenkreuz is coming!<em>!<em>!" He runs down the street, intent on his destination despite the whirlwind of panic swirling through the city. "Evacuate the city!_!_!" That doesn't mean he isn't going to warn innocents on his way, though.

Desperation floats in his brain, but he pushes it away, a distraction. Her name is a soundless scream in his throat of _panic_, but that gets shoved down, too.

He can't afford anything clouding his reasoning right now, even if his current goal is staked entirely on feeling.

_Feel after you find her. For now, just focus._

The thought, albeit being akin to an order, is somewhat reassuring. Perhaps because he knows what he has to do, and he'll either succeed or die trying. No more "if's"; no more "maybe's". Things are, and things aren't. Simple, boiled down to plain facts.

This, he can do.

When he rounds the corner and sees the casino, it's enough of a reassurance to make his knees weak, even through the steady mantra of _feel it later, feel it later,_ running through his head. He pushes through the doorway, where people are still gambling and oblivious to the crisis going on outside. _Didn't they hear the sirens?_!

"Everyone, evacuate!_!_" His shout is near breathless, but still clear. "Rosenkreuz is storming the city!_!_"

Several people look up at him; most of them seem half-drunk, and it isn't even _noon_.

With an almost-growl, Shu grabs the arm of the closest bunny girl, yelling, "Get everyone out of here, now!"

She looks at him in bemusement. "Hey, if you want to be the one to tell that to the boss, be my guest."

_Are they all _insane_?_ These people can't possibly be this dense, and he wants to shriek from the sheer _frustration_ of it all-

"Shu?"

He whirls around, the relief choking in its intensity as he spots her and making his voice crack as he says her name, "Bouquet. You're alright." He remembers the situation and says, "We have to go. _Now_."

"But-"

"_No_ buts." He grabs her shoulder, pressing urgently. "We need to leave."

She searches his eyes for a moment before nodding. "Okay."But she's stepping back- "I have to get my bag, though. There's something important inside- I can't leave it-" She stumbles over the words, but the last is a desperate plea. "_Please_."

Knowing he'll regret it, he gives a quick, single nod. "Be quick."

Bouquet dashes off towards the back room. Shu spends a moment wondering what to do in her absence - should he try to get people to leave again? Or should he go to his boss and alert him to the situation?

Shu hears people screaming outside, and sweat breaks out on his forehead. _Bouquet, come _on_._

As if his thoughts alone have summoned her, he sees Bouquet emerge from the back rooms, out of her uniform and in the sundress she always wears when not at work. He starts toward her in order to meet her halfway, and he can figure out what to do next as long as he knows she's _safe_-

Something _crashes_ above him, loud and terrible like a thunderstorm, and he has just enough time to see Bouquet lift her head in terror-

And then the world turns to fire.

* * *

><p>She feels a hard pull on her arm, and Jiro's voice sounds choked and appalled, "<em>Zola<em>-"

Turning to see what has him so distressed, Zola freezes as she watches the roof of a large building explode. When the eruption dies down, it's still standing but only just - and it's now on fire.

_What is Rogi _doing_?_ This isn't normal for him. Attacking innocents without provocation had been Nene's thing. But Rogi _never_ does anything without a reason-

_Then he has a reason for this._ The thought is reassuring, though Zola doesn't know why. Maybe because it's some kind of assurance that not everything in her life has been turned upside down. _So find out what it is._

She nods. She'll have to be quick about it, though; at this rate, there won't be a city left for her to get clues from.

* * *

><p>Pain. Terrible, searing pain, lancing through his head-<p>

Shu groans, curling up and around the agony. He feels like he's dying.

The sound of screams slices through his awareness. People afraid, people hurting-

_Get up, soldier. You're needed._

Sucking in a wheezing breath of air, Shu pushes himself up until he's on his hands and knees-

Fire, fire, everywhere.

Despite the heat, his blood freezes in his veins. For a few seconds, he isn't seeing the casino but Talta, everything he cares about burning to the ground-

_Snap out of it!_ He shakes his head to clear it, grasping desperately in his mind for what to do next. Nothing is clear and all is uncertain...

_But you have to find Bouquet, either way._ He grabs onto that thought like the lifeline it is. Everything is confused and chaotic, but that is the one thing he can be sure of. With that, Shu staggers the rest of the way to his feet.

And realizes with a sudden rush of disbelief and horror that there's a huge gap in the middle of the casino floor like a gaping wound.

He stares at it, not able to believe that he's seeing it. Around him is in a inferno, and in front of him is an abyss.

_How could she have survived this?_

He shoves the thought away, pinning down the crippling grief it brings on. _No. Don't think about it. Just keep moving and worry about the rest later._

Shu takes a few steps back, bending carefully at the knees. He takes a second, two, to clear his head of any overly heavy thoughts.

And then he runs forward and leaps over the gap.

But he's misjudged the distance and doesn't quite clear it, and then he's scrabbling along the edge, one leg dangling over the battle-made chasm, and panic surges inside of him when Shu realizes that he's being dragged down by his own weight. Letting out a single distressed cry, he _pulls_ with all of his strength-

-and rolls up and onto the floor, panting as he tries to catch his breath. He sits up, still gasping, and immediately chokes and drops his head low again when he inhales a mouthful of smoke from the fires swallowing the casino. He waits until his breathing returns to normal - or, at least, bearable - before trying to get up again.

From what he can tell, by some miracle, most of the people are still alive. (And he _tries_ not to look at the ones who didn't make it or even in their direction, stomach dropping and something in his mind whispering _failure_.) All of them are frantic, and are vaguely running around like startled chickens, crazed with panic. There's no point in trying to reason with them until he finds a clear and safe exit - as things stand, they won't listen to him anyway, and in their blind frenzy (inadvertently or not) may even trample him.

_I _told_ you to get out,_ Shu thinks grimly. _And none of you listened._

That doesn't mean he's going to abandon them.

But Bouquet still comes first.

Then there's a sound, a noise like rushing but different and hard to explain, and Shu searches for the source-

He looks up, and sees water and foam swallowing up the flames.

Someone is putting out the fires.

* * *

><p>The soldiers are baffled; he can tell that without even looking up. "Rogi-sama-"<p>

"Put the fires _out_." The order is practically growled out, anger and frustration bubbling up as he stares at the file in front of him.

Matilda is always quick.

But she brought him this information too late.

_There's still a chance..._

His voice clearer, Rogi speaks over the din of battle, "Kill _no one_. Take all Resistance members prisoner, and make certain that they stay _alive_." His cape swishes behind him as he turns on his heel, heading for the lab area. Most likely, the scientists won't be able to detect anything. But he has to be _sure_, because whether he's right or wrong, there are no second chances with this.

He has to move. Fast.

* * *

><p>"Zola, what are they doing?" Jiro can do little more than gape at the scene in front of him. It's a bit like looking at an upside down painting, except that it doesn't make any sense after looking at it the right way.<p>

Rosenkreuz is putting out the fires that they started.

_The world's gone crazy. That must be it._

"They're dousing the fires, but..." Zola seems confused as well.

That's a _terrible_ sign.

"Yes, but _why_ are they doing it?" Jiro follows her when she starts walking in that direction, squeezing past a fleeing citizen, not taking his eyes off of Zola or the baffling conundrum a ways off. "What are they trying to do?"

"Could he have changed his mind...?" But Zola seems caught up in her own thoughts, not paying much attention to him. She mumbles a little more; it's too low for him to make out what she's saying. She _is_ moving more quickly towards the flame-covered structure, though.

But then something else catches his attention.

Metal planks - at least, they look like metal planks - extend out of the battleship, onto and into the burning building that is being extinguished.

And though they're a fair distance away, Jiro can still see the soldiers using it to go inside.

* * *

><p>Shu is still looking around wildly, both trying to figure out what's going on and looking for Bouquet, when he comes face to face with a Rosenkreuz soldier.<p>

For a moment, his mind goes blank, and the two of them continue to stare at each other.

And then Shu has his sword out and is swinging wide. He misses - the soldier has ducked and is coming up from a crouch for a swipe of his own, but Shu's faster and he blocks the hit with ease, as well as the ones that come after that.

But just when the soldier least expects it, Shu sweeps out with his foot; he falls to the ground with a startled yelp, and with a sword hilt to the temple the man is knocked out and it's over.

He breathes hard looking down at him for a moment before preparing to resume his search-

And then he sees the Rosenkreuz troops pouring into the casino.

Shu's blood runs cold. He doubts that he could get away from them, let alone fight them or try to save anyone, and still come away breathing.

One of the soldiers steps forward from the crowd. "Surrender," his voice seems booming, louder than the crackle of dying flames and the whimpers of the frightened people, "and no one will be harmed."

Shu draws himself up, sword gripped tight. The attention gets turned to him, and he swallows down his fear. He wishes he could've found Bouquet, but...

He's still a soldier. And defending people isn't such a bad way to go.

There's a crash from behind him; he shouts as it rocks the building and puts him off balance, bracing the floor with his hands to keep himself mostly upright-

The next time that Shu looks up, he can't believe what he's seeing.

A woman and a boy, their swords drawn, standing between Shu (with the people behind him) and Rosenkreuz.

And coming from the woman's feet is a Shadow.

* * *

><p>He hasn't even made it to the lab before Matilda meets him in the hall. "Rogi-sama, it's urgent-"<p>

"It has to wait." Rogi moves past her. He has to get in there, he has to find out-

"Killer Bat has been sighted, sir."

Rogi goes utterly still. _Zola..._

Indecision holds him in place, rooting him to the ground.

Finally, though, he says, "Keep me aware of the situation," and continues on to the laboratory.

* * *

><p>His first thought is of Ojisan and Berserker, standing over him like a bear protecting its den as Shu had bled out on the rocky ground-<p>

"Shadow User," Shu hears himself say it, as if in a dream. "She's a _Shadow User_."

The boy tilts his head; Shu sees blue eyes looking at him curiously, a little cool but not hostile.

But then there's no time to think about it as everything explodes into action.

The silver-haired woman is as fast as lightning, her and her Shadow moving fluidly as one, and there's an almost-beauty to her deadly movements-

-and Shu flinches, hard, as the soldiers start falling to the ground dead.

Unlike him, this woman apparently has no qualms with killing.

Is she in the wrong? Or is he?

He gives himself a mental slap. Now, in the middle of a casino-turned-battlefield, is _really_ not the time or place to start asking himself questions of morality.

_Move or you're dead!_

By some instinct he doesn't know, Shu ducks, and just narrowly avoids being shot up by the Rosenkreuz troops as some of them begin to fire their weapons. He hears the people scream behind him - and hears some of them break off quickly. _Too_ quickly, and something inside of him cries out as his mind whispers _failure_.

_Don't think about it, don't think about it-_

He spots the boy, fighting off some of the soldiers, but he doesn't see the one coming at him from the left and then Shu is leaping and there, disabling the soldier with a high kick to the head.

The boy whirls around surprised, glancing down at the fallen Rosenkreuz soldier. "Thanks. I owe you." He glances at Shu. "Jiro."

"Shu." He nods in acknowledgment, then adds, "You might want to work on the defense of your left side."

A cross between annoyance and amusement flits across Jiro's face. "You aren't the first one to tell me that, but I'll keep it in mind."

Then Jiro strikes with his sword towards Shu, and Shu towards Jiro - both disabling blows to the soldiers that had been sneaking up on them from behind.

Jiro grins at him from the side. "Looks like I owe you twice."

Shu smirks in return. "Consider one of them paid."

He spins, sword ready and able and looking with his eyes for the next available target-

"_Shu_!"

His heart leaps towards his throat. _Bouquet._

She's there, running towards him, teary-eyed but smiling and _oh thank God she's safe_-

And a Rosenkreuz soldier is coming up behind her.

Her name is pushed out of him in a ragged scream. "_Bouquet_!_!_!"

The man tries to fire, but he's out of ammo, and Shu is just thinking that it must be some kind of miracle when Bouquet turns as the soldier swings with the end of his gun instead-

The world tilts under Shu's feet as everything blurs and goes dark.

When he's next aware of anything, Shu is on his hands and knees and he doesn't know how he got there. The only thing he's aware of is Bouquet, laid out on the floor, limp and unmoving.

_Failure._

_No. Not her._

_Failure._

_I can't fail her- I can't-_

_Failure._

_I wasn't supposed to get attached-_

_Failure._

_I'm sorry, Bouquet. Oh God, I'm so sorry-_

Failure!_!_

And then another voice in his head, loud and echoing, belonging and not belonging.

_No._

_Only if you choose to accept that._

_But you won't. I know you won't._

_Because your will is mine. _

_And I don't plan on giving up._

And then something _surges_ through his veins as blue light bursts and swirls around him.

* * *

><p><em>Shu.<em> The name streaks across Jiro's mind as he watches the light coalesce in the place where the boy had been.

He hears Zola whisper, "_Blue Dragon_."

And then the light explodes outward.

* * *

><p>He blinks the brightness from his eyes, struggling to see. Eventually, though, he can make out enough to get his bearings.<p>

Shu blinks down at his hands. They look the same, but they feel... different, in a way. It's hard to describe.

Now that he think of it, though, _all_ of him feels strange, like there's a peculiar kind of energy thrumming through his body. All of his aches and pains are gone, and he feels _strong_.

That's when he notices his feet.

Something is coming out of them.

He traces the thing with his eyes, watching as it takes shape...

...forming a blue dragon.

The word leaves him in a hard breath out. "_You_." And a memory, hazy at the edges but still distinct, plays in his mind's eye. _Hearing Ojisan's shout as he falls into the canyon, screaming and seeing his own tears and blood fly into the air, closing his eyes and seeing blue light-_ "You were the one that saved me." He stretches out his hand, palm facing the dragon.

The Shadow reaches out in turn, until their hands are touching. It - no, _he_ - grins, teeth showing. "I've been waiting for you, Shu."

"It's you!" He turns and stands in one motion, the voice startling him - and he sees Bouquet kneeling a short way away from him, hands pressed to the ground, eyes shining with unshed tears. "I knew the stories were true! You're one of them... You're one of the Warriors of Light!" The tears fall. "You've come to save us!"

Shu stares at her, relief and surprise warring for first place inside him.

And then everything around him becomes chaos again.

The Rosenkreuz soldiers are swinging their swords and firing their guns, the Shadow User woman dashing across the casino floor and taking down enemy units one by one, Jiro dodging and attacking with movements that aren't as quick as the swordswoman but fast enough.

It's all a blur that's difficult to keep up with, but Shu doesn't have time to stall - he has a Shadow now and it's time to put that power to good use.

And if he could just figure out _how to do that_, that'd be great, too.

He sifts through his memories, trying to remember how Ojisan had moved with Berserker and if there had been anything in particular that he'd done to get the Shadow to move with him. All Shu can recall is that whatever Ojisan did, Berserker had mimicked it perfectly.

Could it really be that easy?

Well. Time to find out.

He dashes towards some of the soldiers, curling his hand into a fist and striking-

-and his Shadow's fist connects, sending the Rosenkreuz men flying across the room.

Shu stares down at his hand like he's seeing it for the first time. _It _works_. It really works._

With the assurance that he _can_ do this, Shu keeps up the assault, sometimes with fists and sometimes with claws. Something clicks in his mind after a while, and using Blue Dragon - because that's his Shadow's name, _Blue Dragon_; something deep down confirms it - becomes as second nature as breathing. He doesn't know how Ojisan could stand using Berserker so little - fighting with Blue Dragon gives Shu a peace and clarity that he's never known.

Shu feels... whole.

He raises his arms upwards, crossing them one over the other, feeling power flowing up from somewhere and into his hands-

"_Shu_!"

He isn't aware of Bouquet screaming his name until seconds after it happens, and by then it's far too late.

Agony tears through his body, more painful than words can describe, and as Shu's vision goes blurry he recognizes it enough to know that one of the Rosenkreuz soldiers must have shot him.

* * *

><p>"Shu!" Jiro dashes forward just in time to catch the other boy as he falls towards the floor, the Shadow disappearing in a crescendo of blue light.<p>

He had seemed smaller than him, but now Shu seems pitifully so, seems thin and tiny as Jiro holds him up from cracking his head on the marble ground. Something lodges in his throat; he hasn't even known Shu for half an hour, but something about him makes Jiro inwardly quail at the thought of him dying.

Plus, Shu reminds him of both Zola _and_ himself - Shu seems strong and competent, if a little more _alive_ than either of them, yet Jiro had seen a shadowed mirror of his own loss in the other boy's almost-black eyes - and for a moment Jiro had been hoping that maybe he'd found something of a kindred spirit.

If they don't do something about this bleeding, Jiro supposes that will be a moot point anyway.

Mind racing, Jiro casts about desperately for the best course of action, but turns up with nothing. Shu is running out of time, and they're surrounded by hostiles on all sides.

Of all the things... They actually find another _Shadow User_, and here he is dying in Jiro's arms!

The only consolation is that things probably can't get much worse.

Jiro thinks of calling over Zola for assistance, but he banishes the thought when he spots her cornered by enemies. It isn't too much for her to handle - of _course_ it isn't; the very idea is absurd - but she can't afford to be distracted right now without it costing her. He doesn't want Zola to get hurt just because the situation got to be too much for him to handle.

On the other hand, he doesn't want Shu to _die in his arms_. (Yes, he may have used that phrase twice by now, but it's worth repeating because it's true and _maybe_ he's just a little bit hysterical right now.)

He's snapped out of his inner turmoil when something - some_one_ - roughly his size bumps into his side. Jiro goes for his sword on instinct, but thankfully stills when he hears sniffling. A look confirms it - she's the girl who called Shu's name, tried to warn him about the attack. (He'd almost cut her down, and wouldn't _that_ have been great. Really, just the thing they need. Definitely can't get any worse.)

"Sh-Shu..." She hiccups his name, and Jiro feels a twinge of sympathy for her. She seems to be around his age and Shu's, but she just seem so _young_... "I-is he going to...?" It takes him a moment to realize that she's directed the question at _him_.

"He's alive." _For now._ He doesn't add that part. "Do you know him?" He doesn't know what it is that compels him to ask.

Maybe he just wants to know if Shu goes, if there will be anyone else to care.

(And why _does_ he care, anyway? He just met the kid, for crying out loud!)

"He's my f-friend." She sniffs again. "I'm Bouquet."

"Call me Jiro." He knows then that he has to do something. He has to try and get them out of here, somehow, some way. He won't just let it end like this! "Stick close to me; I'm getting you and Shu out of here."

"You- You are?" She blinks up with him with wide, bright eyes.

"I am." Jiro wishes it didn't sound so grim, but everything is against them right now and he'd be lying through his teeth if he said he felt positive about this insane notion. "Hang on."

* * *

><p>He'd thought he might feel panic as the city fell. Anger. Disappointment.<p>

Instead, Dragnov feels relatively numb.

Perhaps it's because he has no obligations towards this city.

But if that were true, why did he want to protect these people? Why did he give the order to defend them, if he felt nothing towards them at all?

Maybe it's because of how bleak things are.

He sees Hannah's eyes alight with inner fire as the rifle presses into the back of her head, centimeters above where she has her hands collapsed in surrender like the rest of them.

Things weren't supposed to turn out this way.

Absently, Dragnov wonders if they've taken Legolas captive, too.

The rumors are true - Legolas had ended up... "working" in the casino. He'd been an unfortunate witness of this, so he knows it for a fact. He wonders if they've gotten that far yet...

He hopes not. Not only for Legolas' sake, but for Shu's.

Dragnov _knows_ that's where he must have gone - to find that girl and get her to safety. He would wish that Shu had stayed, but the rest of them aren't in such a good spot right now. Maybe he beat the odds, though - maybe he found her and got away. He chances a look back, unable to stop himself from checking to see how deep into the city Rosenkreuz has gone-

And Dragnov feels like he's falling when he sees enormous plumes of smoke rising from the ruined casino.

* * *

><p>With a sharp tug, Jiro grabs Bouquet's arm and brings her down with him despite her yelp of surprise. Above them, gunfire slices through the place they were just standing. He presses her and Shu close to the floor, feeling his pulse in his throat and a taste like ashes on his tongue.<p>

(He's so sick of that taste; he thought he'd put it behind him the day that Mafe was destroyed.)

When it seems clear again - for now, anyway - he hauls himself upright, dragging Shu and Bouquet with him. His short-term plan is to make for the exit, temporarily leave Shu and Bouquet in a safe place, then come back for Zola and return to the already secure location-

Jiro skids to a halt when a soldier jumps in front of him. Swearing under his breath, he twists around to go another way-

They've surrounded him.

"J-Jiro..." Bouquet whimpers, clutching at him.

"Stick close." It's pointless to say; he has no way to escape, no last-minute miracle that can get them out of this mess. _Maybe_ they won't be killed. Maybe.

But no good will come out of him telling her that there's no hope, either.

"Hornet Pierce!_!_"

The soldiers yells as the assault sends them flying. In the space where they were, Killer Bat slides into view, Zola kneeling on the shoulder; the Shadow's hand is outstretched. "Jiro, come on!"

He doesn't waste any time. Holding tight to Shu, Jiro hurls himself and Bouquet at Zola's Shadow. Killer Bat's wings stretch briefly, wide and flexing, and then they're flying up through one of the battle-made holes and away.

Bouquet wails, fingers digging into the fur that covers Killer Bat's hand. "W-we- We're in the _air_-!_!_"

"Hold on tight!" Jiro instructs before taking his own advice, pinning Shu down so that the other boy doesn't fall off in his unconscious state. He lifts his head a fraction, just enough to see Zola. He shouts to be heard over the whistling wind (Killer Bat must be flying fast.) "Are they following us?_!_"

"Not yet!" She calls to him, in a way that clearly says, _But they probably will soon._

"What about the city?_!_" Jiro looks over Killer Bat's arm. Below them, trails of smoke wave in the air and reach for the sky like macabre ribbons. On the outskirts of Heliwood (he thinks that what Zola called it earlier), he can see a group of people - it's hard to judge from this distance, but his estimate is about ninety - being corralled into one of the landed battleships. He grits his teeth in barely restrained fury. Sometimes, he'd had a little spark of hope that maybe Rosenkreuz would be a little bit better than Grand Kingdom; maybe they wouldn't resort to some of the travesties Grand Kingdom had committed.

_As they say, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree._

"There's nothing we can do for them!" And quieter, nearly snatched away by the rushing wind, "The city is lost."

* * *

><p><em>She's behind the restaurant when the ships come.<em>

_There's only enough time to figure out that something's wrong before the attacks start._

_And then the people are screaming, the houses are burning, and she think about going into the restaurant for safety, but quickly decides against it and instead runs for the inn._

_She grabs all of her belongings in her room before darting back outside again - just in time to escape from the building becoming an inferno._

_Staring at the flames in shock, she wonders if the innkeeper made it out in time._

_But she can't afford to stand around, and so she runs down the quickest path out of the village._

_She ducks behind some rubble at the sight of a group of soldiers. They're trapping a woman there, and after a moment she realizes it's the one who used to give her candy when she was really little. She waits a while, but the shouting doesn't cease and they don't move._

_She takes a deep breath. She has to get out of here; each and every one of her instincts screams at her that she must get out of here _now_._

_There's no other choice, then._

_Moving swiftly, she strips off her clothes and stuffs them into one of her bags. She's glad she decided to bring both of them; as it is, they barely fit inside. Once the clothing is accounted for, she closes her eyes and clears her mind. She's done this countless times, so much so that it's almost second nature, but never before under such stress._

_And if she fails, the cost will be higher than she can pay._

_Opening her eyes, she whispers the word and vanishes to the rest of the world._

_There's a kind of comfort to using her power, almost like wrapping herself in a warm blanket. Here, in the in-between, she is safe._

_If only she had a handle on it like the others._

_Not that there's anyone who can help her with that now._

_She inches along, carefully dragging the bags behind her, moving just a little at a time and only when she's fairly sure that the soldier's attention is drawn elsewhere._

_Things go relatively smoothly._

_Until she hears the gunshot._

_She flinches at the sound, frightened, and she can't help but to look-_

_-and stares into the candy lady's lifeless eyes._

_She shoves her hands against her mouth, trying desperately to hold in the hysterical scream begging to be let out, feeling panic bubble up at her slipping control over the invisibility and fighting back the fear that could break her calm-_

_Because Bouquet knows that if they see or hear her, she'll be dead, too._

* * *

><p>She wakes up moaning, her entire body aching; she curls up around the hurt, hoping that it goes away soon. Small, hard and sharp things bite into the exposed flesh of her arms and legs, adding to her suffering. She forces her eyes open...<p>

She sees the clear sky, blue-purple in the midst of dawn.

Why would she be able to see the sky? Her bedroom has a window, but she's able to look up and see it like there isn't even a _ceiling_ there. Perplexed, she sits up to try and get her bearings-

-and she sees Shu lying on a bedroll, shirt stained red with blood.

All of the breath seems to leave her body as Bouquet hoarsely whispers his name, "_Shu_-"

"He's stable." A voice says, male but fairly young, and vaguely familiar. She searches for the source and finds that boy sitting there - Jiro. His shoulders slump tiredly, but his ocean blue eyes are bright and sharp. "For now. We have to get moving soon, though. But..." He looks worried here. "Zola wore herself out, using so much power and so fast..."

"Zola?" She digs through her brain, but the name is nowhere to be found in her memories. "You mean that woman with the Shadow?"

"Yes." A corner of his mouth twitches. "The one who _saved_ you. You do remember that part, don't you?"

Bouquet nods, feeling somewhat dazed. She thinks he might be trying to be wry, but if so it's gone straight over her head. "Is Shu going to be okay?" Her heart clenches. She almost doesn't want to know the answer, for fear that it may be _no_.

Jiro frowns, looking down and away. He doesn't reply, and raising his voice, says instead to the still sleeping Shadow User, "Zola. The sun is rising. Wake up."

The woman - Zola - opens her eyes so quickly that Bouquet jerks back in surprise. She blinks once, twice, then sits up and stretches. Bouquet watches in awe - even her waking movements are swift, and she makes even _that_ look graceful.

Just who _are_ these people, anyway?

But they've rescued Shu, and her intuition isn't giving her any warnings of danger (and for all that people seem confusing sometimes, it's never steered her wrong), so she decides that they aren't bad people. She will trust them, unless something happens to cause her faith to waver.

"Thank you for waking me, Jiro. It's time for us to move out." Zola stands, not even staggering once.

Jiro gets to his feet as well, and Bouquet copies him though the discussion seems to be between just him and Zola for the moment. "Zola, he needs treatment..."

"I know. And that's why we're going back to Kluke." Jiro seems to perk up at the mention of this "Kluke". "There might be closer healers, but Rosenkreuz is still nearby. She's the safest bet for now."

"Alright, then. I'll clear the camp." Jiro switches his attention from Zola to her. "Bouquet, I'd appreciate it if you could hold onto Shu when we're flying. I'll take over if we're on the ground."

"U-um..." She feels suddenly nervous with two pairs of eyes direct at her. "Sure. I can do that."

Jiro _almost_ smiles; it's quick and fleeting, as he seems preoccupied now where he hadn't before. "Thank you." With that, he kneels down and starts rolling up his and Zola's bedrolls.

Feeling a bit out of place, Bouquet takes a seat next to Shu, absently folding her dress under legs to keep the sand out. Worry pricks at her; his breathing is slightly labored, and sweat has broken out on his forehead. On some unconscious impulse, she reaches out and brushes back his bangs.

"You care for him very much."

Bouquet yelps, startled, snatching her hand back like it's been burned. Zola stands nearby, watching with an unreadable expression. Bouquet swallows, then replies even though it was a statement and not a question. "I do."

"I see." Zola nods, as if something has been confirmed for her. "Good."

And with no other warning, the swordswoman walks off.

Baffled, Bouquet stares in the direction Zola went. _What was that about?_

Shaking her head, she returns her attention to Shu. His condition is the same, and she droops with disappointment even though she knows better (she _should_). Some ridiculous notion had entered her head that maybe, _maybe_, if she looked away for a moment, he'd be better when she looked back. What a childish hope. Foolish and impossible.

But it doesn't make her hopes feel any less dashed.

She reaches down and takes his hand - and her heart soars when she feels a small, slight squeeze.

"Please, Shu," a tear rolls down her cheek. "Please wake up." _Please don't leave me all alone again._

Bouquet shuts her eyes against their stinging. When she speaks, it's so soft that even she can barely hear it. "Shu... I need you..."

* * *

><p><em>He sits down on the ground tenderly, wincing as it pulls at his sore muscles. Carefully, he leans over to examine his legs. On both of them, his knees and shins are bloody, and whatever skin didn't get torn off is raw and scraped. He's grateful for this respite, even if it will have to be short; it hurts every time he walks.<em>

_The injuries could almost be considered self-inflicted, but he'd had no choice. The soldiers had followed him after his escape, scouring the area for any trace of him. Other options he might've had all held a high risk of being recaptured, or killed, so he had been forced to get on his hands and knees and crawl along the harsh, rocky ground._

_From the sun's position, he knows it must have taken around an hour before he could stop, but it felt more like two._

_Even when the first of the wounds opened; even when the pain became so bad that tears streamed down his face, he hadn't made a sound. One noise, and it would have all been over._

_And Kluke's sacrifice would have been in vain._

_He tries to bite it back, but the sob finds a way out of him anyway. He keeps hearing her scream when he'd fled, the soldiers grabbing her as she shouted at him to run away._

_Kluke. His best friend. His crush._

_Shu abandoned her to the ones that destroyed their lives._

_And he'll never forgive himself for it._

* * *

><p>He leaps down from Killer Bat with one smooth motion, knees bending slightly as he lands. When Killer Bat's hand lowers down far enough, Jiro hauls Shu up, an arm under the shorter boy's upper back and the other behind his knees. Without another word, Jiro takes off at a run, eyes trained on the small hut in the distance. Even with the darkening sky, he would know it anywhere.<p>

Two days. Two very long days of Bouquet sitting by Shu's unconscious form and Zola pushing her limits with Killer Bat; of Shu slowly dying and Jiro running on pure adrenaline.

Zola had said that Shu's newly awakened Shadow power would be enough to keep him alive, but only just, and only for so long. Jiro has seen Zola reach her limit before; Shadow magic restores itself with food and rest, but it isn't infinite, and he doesn't like to think about what will happen when Shu's reserves run out.

Jiro doesn't get it at all... Why does the thought of Shu dying bother him so much? He doesn't even _know_ him.

Maybe it's just that Shu's the closest thing to an ally (_comrade_) that Jiro has had since Zola.

But... There's something else, deep down inside him, that is horrified at the thought of the boy passing on.

That something feels like Jiro, and it doesn't feel like him. What kind of sense does _that_ make?

He's been feeling... strange, lately, though it's difficult to describe. Jiro doesn't understand it. And it's _frustrating_.

But there more important things he needs to worry about.

Exhaustion pulls at him with insistent fingers. Sleep is a sweet whisper in his ear, full of promise.

Jiro shakes it off and keeps running.

It seems like it takes forever, but at last he reaches the doorstep. His legs feel unsteady, and as heavy as blocks of lead. Distantly, underneath the rushing sound that seems like it's coming from his head itself, he can hear Zola and Bouquet coming up from behind him. Jiro groans, suddenly dizzy, pressing his forehead against the wooden wall.

A loud, successive banging knocks him out of his stupor with a start. He looks to the side, sees Zola knocking urgently on the front door, with an anxious Bouquet standing close by. Just how long was he standing here like this?

(What's happening to him?)

"Kluke!" Zola, bringing him back to reality again. "Kluke, we need help!"

Long seconds later, the door opens, but it blocks all of them from Jiro's view. Even so, Kluke's voice is still just as soothing; simply hearing her talk calms the whirlwind of confusion and frustration inside. "Zola? What's going on-?"

"We have someone seriously injured with us. Gunshot wound, two days old. They need immediate medical attention."

"Understood." He can practically see Kluke's expression turn serious; the hard set to her jaw, the downward curl of her mouth. "Bring them up to the room. I'm going to get some supplies; I'll meet you up there."

Zola moves into view, gesturing for him to bring Shu inside. By the time Jiro makes it to the doorway, Kluke is already gone.

He tells himself that the disappointment is irrational. It doesn't help.

Jiro remembers the way to the room Kluke uses to care for patients so vividly, it's almost second nature. It's a surprise, and one that he's not entirely comfortable with. At the same time, though, another part of him is glad for it.

This house will probably never be home for him; he's not sure that any place will ever be again. (Whenever he says or thinks of that word, he still sees Mafe and Otousan and Okaasan and Jina.)

But when he's taking a break from traveling, or returning from a long journey, this is still a place he wants to come back to.

He nudges open the ajar door with his shoulder, taking a quick glance around. The room is the same as always; nice and neat, just the way Kluke wants it. He crosses the expanse of the room in three long strides before placing Shu on the bed, who moans slightly in his sleep.

Jiro sits heavily in the chair by the bedside. He knows that Kluke will probably need it, but until she gets here he just... needs... to _sit_. He leans his elbows on his knees, cradling his head in his hands. He's tired all the way to his bones, and passing out on a bed somewhere - _anywhere_ - sounds like a _fantastic_ idea right now.

The door opens, and he prepares to look up (and maybe ask Kluke if there's a free bed he can go lay down on)-

Before he even lets go of his forehead, there's a sharp gasp and the sound of shattering glass.

Jiro's eyes dart up, catching first on the broken medicine bottles scattered across the floor and blue rug, darkening the wood and soaking the fabric.

And then there's Kluke, her right hand grasping backwards at the wall, looking pale and horrified and stricken, saying something Jiro never expected and sounding for all the world like the ground is falling out from under her feet. "_Shu_."


	7. Chapter Seven

**[November 20th – November 22nd]**

* * *

><p>Her fingers slide along the books on the shelf before coming to a stop. This one should suffice. She pulls it down and tucks it against her side, before exiting the room and heading down the hall.<p>

She comes to a stop in front of the door. Her heart starts to beat wildly, and her breath becomes short. All in all, nerves are making her feel like she's about to fall about.

... Two years.

A wooden barrier blocking her from who she never thought she'd ever see again.

She isn't sure she can do this.

But... She takes a deep breath. She has felt fear (sometimes enough to be paralyzing), has stared torment and death straight in the face, but she has never been a coward. She will face this head on, just as she has with everything else in her life.

Her hand rests upon the doorknob. It feels icy under her palm and a little slippery. Never before has turning it seemed like such a herculean task, but slowly, slowly, she twists it open quietly...

She wedges the door open a fraction, peering inside. At first glance, things appear the same as she left them. A slight, yellowish glow lights up the dark room from the lit lamp on the desk. He's - and her breath catches when she sees him, even though she'd thought she would get used to it after seeing him the first or fifth time - he's still lying on the bed, completely still aside from breathing.

Then she sees the girl, sitting at his bedside.

And holding his hand.

Chest tightening, Kluke closes the door as silently as possible, clutching the book tightly to her chest.

Shu has someone else to sit vigil at his bedside now.

* * *

><p><em>He's walking.<em>

_Walking, walking, walking... It feels like he's been going for a thousand miles._

_Has it been less? Has it been more?_

_He almost wishes they would catch him, just so that this... this _limbo_ can finally end. It feels like he's been traveling through his desert for his whole life, and everything else - his village, his family, his friends, _everything_ - was just some wistful, longing dream._

_The world wobbles for a minute, until he registers that a large hand is clasping his shoulder and shaking him. Maybe this is it. Maybe he's finally been caught. Maybe this can all be over at last._

"_Boy?" Maybe he's hallucinating this. It seems more likely that the soldiers would be taking him prisoner by now. Whoever this is, he doesn't seem overly hostile... Yes, it must be a hallucination. "Boy, can you hear me?"_

_He looks up, sees a man that must be in his thirties or forties; his skin is a cross between tan and brown, his hair orange, and the unusual contrast catches his eyes even through the haze clouding his reasoning. "Water..." He doesn't know what makes him say it. Whether it's a soldier that's come to recapture him or a hallucination formed from wishful thinking, neither one will aid him. "Please, sir... Water..."_

_But it doesn't matter anymore when the darkness creeps into his vision without warning, and Shu feels himself falling into unconsciousness' unmerciful embrace._

* * *

><p>"No, no, no!" Jiro wants to grab Shu by the shoulders. "<em>Kluke<em>! _Kluke, get in here_!"

He had opened his eyes... It had only been a second, but Shu opened his eyes!

But by the time Kluke arrives, Shu's in a deep sleep, and all of Jiro's unfounded hopes start to dim.

Apparently, he's not the only one either. Kluke stares at Shu, looking more miserable than he's ever seen her, and the words are escaping from Jiro before he has a chance to rein them in, "You know him."

Kluke's eyes lift, filled with surprise. She gapes at him like that for a long moment before shaking it off. Her jaw sets in that way he's come to know; she does it either when she's serious, or about to do something she doesn't like. Even after she speaks, he isn't sure which it is. "I need to talk to you, Jiro."

* * *

><p>She fiddles with her fingers, almost afraid to meet his eyes. There are so many things she needs to tell him, and honestly, Kluke has no idea where to start. "I'm not really sure how to say this." It isn't very informative, but at least it's honest. "It's... It's a lot."<p>

"Start from the beginning." Jiro leans against the wall, folding his arms casually, curious but calm. It's reassuring. "We have time."

Kluke breathes deeply, in and out, before taking the plunge. "... I grew up in the village of Talta. My parents died when I was young; in a way, I was raised by the village itself. But there was no one that I was closer to than my best friend... Shu." Jiro's eyes widen. She swallows and keeps going. "I had a happy life. I had Shu, and the three boys we were friends with, Shu's grandfather Fushira, all of the other villagers...

"Then... One day, when I was ten, Grand Kingdom came.

"They... destroyed _everything_. Killed so many people... People that I had known practically all of my life. And they captured the children - all of the children in Talta Village. Including Shu and I.

"They took us to Zashti, the capital of Grand Kingdom. This was before the Fall of Galleon. But while they were transporting us, I managed to break Shu's restraints. They beat me for meddling," she smirks, bitter yet proud, "but I didn't care. I had gotten Shu free. That was all that mattered.

"When Shu woke up, I helped him get out of the restraints as much as I could. But just when he'd gotten out of them, the soldiers entered the holding room. There was a struggle... I managed to get free enough that I could hold the soldiers back, just for a minute or two. I had screamed at Shu to run... And when I turned my head to look..." Her breath hitches, even now, even though she knows he's alive and only a few feet away. "... He fell out of the hatch. Miles and miles from the ground." She bites her lip, feeling her eyes sting. "I... I was so sure he was dead..." Even now, she feels that suffocating, crushing pain of loss. She smiles at Jiro weakly. "That's why I looked like I'd seen a ghost when I first laid eyes on him, if you were wondering.

"After we arrived in the capital, we were taken into an enormous holding cell underneath the city, directly below King Nene's fortress. There were children from other villages and cities in the prison with us. None of us knew each other, but... Circumstances banded us together. We knew that even if we'd never seen the child in front of us before, they _understood_ what we'd gone through; understood what it was like to lose everything. We trusted each other. The only ones we could trust in a world that had become so uncertain.

"We didn't have any clue what we were in for.

"They... experimented on us. I don't know what exactly they did, or why they were doing it. All I know is that they would take five of us at a time, whisk them away to somewhere... And when they came back..." She breathes shakily. "Everyone responded differently. I don't know if they were different experiments, or if each of us just had a different reaction to it. Some would come back relatively unchanged, save for the haunted look in their eyes and the way they would shake their heads and start trembling if we asked what had happened. Others would instead shake constantly, and we'd wake up to hear them screaming from nightmares. And... there were those who would return blank-eyed, constantly staring into nothing. They would never say anything again.

"One day, it was finally my turn.

"I was brought with my three friends from Talta - Hibiki, Tsubasa, and Taichi - and another girl around Tsubasa's age. They brought us into a high-ceilinged room, filled with all kinds of metal objects and devices. Computers were everywhere, and in the middle of the room was what looked like an operating table. They brought the girl forward and strapped her down to the table. I... I remember her looking at me with such fear and desperation... And I knew that I had to stop it somehow.

"I had Hibiki distract one of the soldiers, allowing just enough time for me to slip away. I knew I didn't have long, but I only needed a few seconds. You probably wouldn't be able tell from just looking at me, but I'm an expert with computers and machines. I know them better than the back of my hand. I fixed the wiring so that the computer would overload. And then I did it to another that was connected to it, and another. Then I ran for the girl and untied her as fast as I could before the computers exploded.

"And it was difficult... but it gave us enough of an opening to escape.

"Eventually, we ended up in a hospital. They took us in, fed us and cared for us. Seeing all of those people injured from the war, though... I knew I had to do something. My father had been a doctor, and I knew _he_ would have done something. So, I asked to be trained as a nurse.

"The months went by, and eventually I heard about the Fall of Galleon and Rosenkreuz. So I took the kids and I left. I knew that Grand Kingdom was gone, but... Something told me that I had to get away. Even now I don't understand it.

"Eventually, we arrived at the village near here. With the villagers' help, I built my house and opened my clinic. I got along well with them; the people reminded me a little of Talta, and they were grateful for me offering my assistance. The kids go to the village school, and when they aren't, they're playing outside. That's why you've never seen them before. Well... That, and they're staying over at a friend's house this week. But that's besides the point... In any case, that's all of it, really; how I know Shu, and how I got here." She clasps her hands tightly. Now for the hard part. "But... There's one more thing I need to tell you-"

"Jiro!"

Zola's voice, downstairs. Jiro groans and Kluke laughs at the absurdity of it all. She keeps trying, yet is never able to tell him. At this rate, she's starting to wonder if something preventing her from talking about this, what is most likely the most important thing she'll ever tell him.

Jiro looks at her pleadingly. "Kluke, I-"

"Don't worry about it." Kluke cuts him off, waving dismissively. "It's fine. I'll tell you later." In a way, she's almost relieved.

When she finally does get around to telling him, Kluke has no idea how Jiro will react.

* * *

><p><em>He wakes to the sound of flames crackling.<em>

_His eyes snap open, not even comprehending the starry night sky above, and for one blind moment of terror, he thinks he's been caught-_

"_So, you're awake."_

_He goes still. The voice is deep, masculine. Not hostile, though..._

_The man's next words are slightly wry. "I took the liberty of bandaging your legs. I hope you don't mind."_

_His legs... Yes, that's right. They had been torn apart by crawling through the canyon floor, hadn't they? Propping himself up on an elbow, he slips his hand under the blanket covering him until he finds his shins, fingers connecting with what must be some kind of cloth wraps._

"_So..." His eyes dart up and right. It's that man he saw before. So he wasn't a hallucination, then. But he doesn't seem to be with the soldiers, either... "How does a young boy like yourself end up wandering around one of the driest canyons in the world with such severe injuries?" Without waiting for an answer, the man offers up a cup._

_He doesn't even hesitate, bringing the cup to his lips and drinking the water, feeling elation as he's finally hydrated for the first time in what feels like forever-_

"_Hey," the word is sharp yet contradictorily gentle, and the man plucks the cup out of his hands too swiftly for him to do anything about. He makes a noise of protest in the back of his throat, but the man only shakes his head. "If you drink it that fast, you'll make yourself sick." The cup is offered once more. "Drink it _slowly_ this time."_

_He takes it back, suddenly and inexplicably nervous. Both hands wrap around it as he sips the water lightly, pulling back and staring into the liquid's depths._

"_What's your name, then?" He starts, looking up and seeing the man smiling at him. "Somehow I doubt that you want me to keep calling you 'boy'. And I need to call you something, don't I?"_

"_Shu," he whispers before he can think about it. "Call me Shu."_

_The man extends a hand. "My name is Dragnov. Well met."_

_Shu takes the proffered hand, and it swallows up his own._

_But it's reassuring... And safe._

* * *

><p>Lena is the thinker, the problem solver. She knows how to do many things. She knows how to hack into a computer mainframe and have it obey her every command. She knows how to disassemble a machine of any kind and put it back together perfectly. She knows how to make Ancient technology hum and come to life like it had been made yesterday.<p>

But she does not know how to get them out of here.

"We're gonna get out of here somehow, right?" Kenta's voice drifts up out of the room's dark depths, reminding her of a leaf rising to the surface of a deep lake. "We'll... We'll find a way out of here somehow, right?"

_No._ Lena tries to banish the traitorous thought, but it's left its mark on her.

"What do you _think_, shorty?" Hayate. And he sounds more bitter and cynical than Lena has ever heard him. "If you want to bust us out of here, by all means..." His voice sends shards of ice through her veins.

Because, really, if Hayate is giving up - perverted, energetic, optimistic Hayate - then what hope do they have?

"Can it, Hayate!" Hannah, her voice as sharp as knife. "We don't need to hear that bull right now! You want to do something useful? Start picking some locks with your _bound hands_. Otherwise, you can just shut up right this minute."

She hears but can't see Rui whimpering. The sound seems to douse all of her hopes. Lena curls up and fights against the tears wanting to spill, even though no one will ever be aware of them.

_Taii... Where are you?_

* * *

><p>"<em>You're insane," he grabs backwards, feeling Shu scrabble to hold onto him. He can feel the boy's tension, his fear; it fills him with both nausea and rage, directed at the men that stand in front of them with their guns raised. "You're all insane!" His voice rises with every word, until the last is a furious cry, "He's just a <em>boy_!_!_!"_

"_Lieutenant Dragnov," what little he can see of the soldier's face is impassive, uncaring with a hint of hesitancy. "Please stand out of the way. We do not wish to see you harmed. Just give up the child and we can walk away from this without conflict."_

_Dragnov bears his teeth in disgust. Do they have no shame? Do they feel nothing? Is this really the army that he serves in? Soldiers that can just... just _take_ children, take them like they're nothing more than _objects_-_

"Come home soon, 'touchan!_"_

_He feels Shu shudder against him, and Dragnov's resolve hardens._

_They will not touch this boy. And if they dare to try, they will learn why Dragnov is feared._

"_We will ask you one last time, Lieutenant Dragnov," the soldiers ready their rifles, and he can't help but scoff (even if it isn't out loud); do they _really_ think that scares him? Don't they know any better? If they're going to send such men without morales, that would willing execute both their commanding officer and a ten year old child, they could at least do the courtesy of sending someone more competent. Or at the very least, someone more well-informed. "Give the boy to us."_

_Dragnov grins wildly, bearing his teeth and relishing at the way some of the more inexperienced men flinch. "And I will _tell_ you one last time. _No_."_

_The soldiers fire, and Shu clutches him from behind as he yells-_

_Berserker is out before the gunfire is even halfway, blocking it easily with his Shadow's double axes._

_Fools. All of them fools. He'll teach all of them a lesson they won't soon forget._

"_Blast Blazer!" Fire sweeps out from the axes, sending the soldiers scattering. When the flames clear, all of them are in hiding. Cowards. They're willing to harm a young boy, but they won't face a grown man? Willing to hit him, beat him? Perhaps even kill him?_

_An army that willingly slaughters children..._

"'touchan... 'touchan, I'm scared!_"_

_This is not the kind of army Dragnov wishes to serve._

_But then his foot slips on a rock; it seems impossible, impossible, that he could make such a blunder, not with his amazing good luck-_

"_Ojisan!" The shout sends a chill through him._

_He tries to get his footing, but his hands and feet keep slipping on the loose rocks. "Get down! Get down _now_-!_!_"_

_The soldiers' gun's unleash their ammunition._

_And then he hears Shu's piercing scream._

_Dragnov sees red, and finally it seems that he can stand, shouting and swinging his arms wide, Berserker mimicking the movements. He doesn't know if any of the hits connect; if they do, he doesn't know if the soldiers survive. Whatever the case may be, he doesn't care. He turns and runs, skids to a stop where Shu lays on his side and gets to his knees. Grabbing the boy's shoulder, he turns him onto his back. "Shu! Shu, can you hear me?_!_"_

_The young boy opens his eyes blearily. "Ojisan," the endearment is a sob. Dragnov tries desperately not to look at the all of the blood coming from Shu's stomach. "Ojisan, it hurts." He chokes, the tears rolling down his cheeks shaking and catching sunlight. His eyes fight to be brave, but pleading overrides everything else instead, as if they're begging Dragnov to make the pain stop._

"'touchan... 'touchan, am I going to see Mama now?_"_

_He scoops Shu up into his arms, forcing himself to ignore the boy's sobs and cries of protest. The movement must be excruciating. "Hang on, Shu. I'm going to get us out of here."_

_Dragnov charges, having Berserker cover him and Shu with his axes. He hears the bullets ping off of the metal. So some of them had survived. His lip curls down. How he would love to stay and finish them off, make them pay for what they've done to Shu..._

_He sees the cliff's edge. Yes! If he can just reach it, then he can leap off and use his Shadow to land on the other side..._

"_Ojisan..." Shu's voice cuts through his thoughts. He sounds weaker, and something like panic starts to claw its way up Dragnov's throat. "I'm so sorry, Ojisan..."_

"_Don't apologize," Dragnov snaps, head reeling and fighting off the urge to shed some tears of his own. For Shu to actually think he has to _apologize_ for this... "You've done nothing wrong. You shouldn't be sorry for the mistakes of foolish grown men-"_

_And then Dragnov yells as he feels the stray bullet go through his leg._

_He falls to the ground, hitting it hard and feeling terror squeeze his heart as he feels Shu roll out of his grasp. The Shadow magic regenerates the User naturally, but it will only sustain him for so long. He wouldn't even care right now, except that it will hinder his ability to help Shu. He pulls himself up, ignoring the agony that runs up and down his wounded limb, and starts shouting, "Shu! _Shu_!" He drags himself along, willing his body to work._

_Even if he's only just met him, Dragnov feels a connection to this boy. And even though those scars had been carried by another man, he doesn't think he can take losing another child. _

_He doesn't have the strength to cast himself away and be remade from the ashes a second time._

"_Ojisan..." Despite the fact that he's sitting up, trying to stand, Shu's voice is fainter now, and it urges Dragnov on, tells him to hurry, hurry, _hurry_-_

_The ground crumbles and collapses under Shu's feet._

"No_!_!_" Dragnov reaches for him, willing himself to make it in time, calling on Berserker to carry him down to Shu-_

_-but Shu is already over the edge, falling towards the inky darkness of the canyon deep below, and even Dragnov doesn't think he has enough luck to catch him in time._

* * *

><p>He wakes with a slight jump. His body is cold with sweat, and wherever this place is it's pitch black.<p>

Sitting up, he discovers that his hands are bound.

And then the rest of the memories tumble in.

Dragnov lets his forehead sink into his hands, shutting his eyes, though visually it makes little difference. As if from a distance, he hears himself mutter, "I don't care what happens to me... Just let Shu get away safely..."

* * *

><p>Bouquet snaps out of her doze - no, she had <em>not<em> been sleeping - at the sound of the door creaking open. At first, she thinks it's Jiro or Zola...

But then she looks more carefully, and realizes that it's the doctor girl.

What's her name again? She remembers Jiro saying it, but it remains stubbornly out of reach...

Oh well.

"You've been sitting here a long time," there's a carefulness about the other girl, a strange look in her eye that Bouquet is unable to figure out. "You... seem to care about him very much."

"He's my friend. My _best_ friend, I guess," the girl jerks; Bouquet doesn't get that, either. "And my only friend, honestly. I... I haven't known him very long, but he's very important to me. If something happened to him..." She looks down at her lap. "I don't know what I'd do..." When she lifts her head again, she nearly startles at the doctor girl's proximity. How did she move so quickly, and so quietly? Being one who prides herself on being an expert on moving silently, Bouquet finds herself extremely impressed. She likes this girl. "But Shu is going to be okay now, and it's all because of you! Because you did so much to take care of him, he'll get better soon..." Her voice wobbles a bit; she curses herself for the sign of weakness. Most of the other girls she's met usually acted meanly towards her if she ever seemed too nervous. "... W-won't he?"

The doctor girl seems to hesitate, a strange look passing over her face again. (Goodness, this girl is such a mystery! Bouquet would love to puzzle her out. Maybe when Shu gets better and she doesn't feel so sad all the time.) But then it's gone, and she smiles so warmly that everything suddenly seems like it'll be okay. "He will." The other girl reaches down and takes Bouquet's hand; it's so reassuring that Bouquet instantly relaxes. "I'm going to do my very best and take good care of him, so you don't need to worry anymore. Okay?"

"Okay!" Bouquet nods, giddy. "Thank you...! Um...? What was you're name again?" This is accompanied by a sheepish giggle.

"Kluke." Her expression seems to become much softer then. "You can call me Kluke."

"And I'm Bouquet." She holds Kluke's hand between her own, closing her eyes as she smiles. "Thank you for taking care of Shu, Kluke!"

Kluke lays her other hand against the three clasped together. "You're welcome."

A warm feeling spreads through Bouquet's chest. It isn't the same as with Shu, but... It feels an awful lot like she's made a friend.

* * *

><p>The picture on the screen flickers at him almost tauntingly.<p>

"This is the one I want brought to me." With steepled fingers, Rogi-sama is as calm and collected as ever.

He wishes he could say the same.

Schneider smirks. "This won't be any trouble at all. Consider it done, Rogi-sama."

Andropov really, _really_ hates being right.

* * *

><p><em>Consciousness comes on slowly. He feels securely wrapped up, a cocoon of safety and warmth. He burrows into what feels like a blanket, letting the sensation soak into his bones.<em>

_It's as close as he's felt too home in... he doesn't even know how long._

_He makes a noise of discomfort in the back of his throat; recognizing that he isn't home causes the other memories to tumble in, and it feels like the weight of this tremendous loss is crushing him-_

"_Shu?" A voice, weary with a significant touch of concern. "Are you awake?"_

Ojisan.

"_Ojisan?" He says it aloud, voice scratching slightly._

_A large hand rests upon his arm with a slight tremor. "Thank God..." He squeezes Shu's limb once, gently. "How do you feel?"_

"_Stomach's kinda sore." Shu winces as he pushes himself up on his elbows; Ojisan is quick to help him. "And I feel really tired." He notices their surroundings for the first time. "Hey... Where are we?"_

"_I found an inn." Something in Dragnov's tone tells Shu that there's more to the story, but he's too tired to press for information. "The owner helped me find a healer. You're going to be alright."_

_All of a sudden, Shu feels sleepy. He tries to fight against it even as his eyelids start to droop. "'m sorry, Ojisan... I put us in danger. I..." His mouth feels thick and clumsy around the next things he says, as if each individual word doesn't quite know what to make of its neighbors, "I could have gotten us killed. I failed you..."_

"_You have done nothing wrong," Dragnov says it firmly, and even through his exhaustion Shu manages a tired smile in answer, feeling content. Perhaps it's because unconsciousness wants to pull him back under, but he likes to think it's because Ojisan is saying something positive about Shu and he never lies. "There is no need to blame yourself. You fought bravely, as just as any true warrior."_

"_... What will we do now...?" Darkness creeps in at the edge's of Shu's vision. It's only a matter of seconds now._

_Before the dark claims him completely, Ojisan's voice drifts to him. "I'm going to take care of you."_

* * *

><p>When he opens his eyes, it takes three rounds of blinking to see clearly. Not that it's much to look at, being just a dark wood ceiling. Which makes even less sense, since the house the Resistance has been stuffed into is made entirely of stone, with not a wooden panel in sight...<p>

On top of his confusion, he feels like he's been run over by a van. Or perhaps a tank. His body feels like it's been battered, crushed, broken, and put back together again the wrong way.

And that's just getting started.

"Ow." It's little more than a croak. Even he barely hears it. That one word - if it can really be called that - seems to define his whole existence right now. He starts pushing himself up, though he doubts it will make this constant aching ease at all, but if nothing else, maybe he can find something heavy to knock himself out with...

He stops at the feeling of a weight holding him down. Puzzled, he glances down to see the cause-

His breath catches in his throat.

_Bouquet._

She's here. She's actually _here_... He can feel her weight pressing into his legs and abdomen, whole and alive and unharmed as far as he can see. And his ears easily detect her soft breathing, warm exhalations of air pleasantly heating the bandages that cover his stomach. It's just then that he realizes that even though he'd been asleep (how long has it been, anyway?), his fear of losing her had been intense enough to stay with him, constant albeit subconscious.

And it is that moment that he knows, without a doubt, that he will do anything to protect her. Bouquet has filled up something inside him that he never expected to have returned, something wonderful and beautiful and cherished. And he will do whatever it takes to keep from losing her.

He doesn't want to be without her ever again.

Overcome with relief, he runs his fingers along her smooth black hair, tucking the stray strands behind her ear as he comes across them. She mumbles in her sleep, and he smiles at her fondly, pain forgotten and heart swelling so much he half-thinks it'll burst. "Silly girl..." He murmurs, voice tender with affection. "How long have you been sitting here waiting for me, hm?"

"A long time."

And then the world is crashing down under him, around him, because he can't have heard that, this can't be happening, _this can't be happening_-

But she's there, impossibly alive and _there_. "It's been a long time, Shu."

And Kluke gives him a small, sad smile.

* * *

><p><strong>Even though it's only implied, I'm sure that many of you picked up on the fact that there's more to Dragnov's story than meets the eye. Unfortunately, I don't know if I'll be able to further explore it in <em>Royal Flush<em>. However, if that does end up being the case, I do have a few things I could try…**


	8. Chapter Eight

**[November 22nd – November 26th]**

* * *

><p>She watches, heart aching, as Shu scrabbles backwards on the bed, shaking and horrified. "You're- you're not real- you <em>can't<em> be real-"

"Who says I can't?" She tries to make it teasing, but it comes out too soft and sad for that.

"You're _dead_." It's a cross between a shriek and a wail. "You can't _be here_. You're _dead_." Shu shakes his head, squeezing his eyes shut and holding the sides of his head.

"I'm not." She takes a few steps towards him, hesitates, thinks of sitting on the bed but considers Bouquet and decides against it. "You know, until four days ago, the thought had been mutual. Believe me, you were the last person I expected to see." In the early days, she'd had fantasies of Shu surviving the fall and of seeing him again, alive and well. Except... In her daydreams, their reunions had always been much happier. She doesn't really know _what_ either of them are feeling - doubts that Shu does either, unless he's changed that severely - but she has a pretty good hunch that whatever it is, both of them are pretty far from _happy_ right now.

Bittersweet, probably. Stunned, definitely. Feeling like their own personal worlds are ending in a very disastrous way... Well, that's how Shu looks, and from what she can tell, that's probably how she looked to Jiro too.

It wasn't supposed to _be_ like this. They're best friends! Everything is supposed to be wonderful when they're together!

... They _were_ best friends.

Kluke knows that she's changed. What's to say that Shu hasn't, either?

She's almost afraid to find out.

But she'll face this just like she has every other trial.

"What... what happened?" Voice trembling, Shu releases his head. "What happened after I...?"

"Too many things to go over." She tries to sound soothing, hopes that she succeeds. "I'll tell you sometime. Not now, though... For now, just know that the boys and I made it out unscathed." She still has dreams about children screaming in the darkness of the cell in the underbelly of Zashti. But she doesn't need to tell Shu about that. Probably not _ever_, in fact; it's more than enough that she has to do deal with it, but to actually _tell_ someone else... She doesn't think she can do that.

Shu opens his eyes, swallowing and nodding. She can see some of the horror leaving his eyes, being replaced with acceptance, not as distressed as he had been before. It's a small comfort, but Kluke will take it gladly.

... Even now, it's still kind of surreal to be standing here in the clinic room, Shu alive and talking to her. A private miracle that is nothing like she thought it would be.

And in the next moment, Bouquet stirs.

She wakes slowly, mumbling and stretching as she comes to. Kluke holds herself still, watching Bouquet.

And watching Shu watch Bouquet.

When Bouquet finally opens her eyes, she freezes when she spots Shu, up and awake. Her expression shifts through several different emotions, until at last she lets out a small sob and throws herself at Shu, burying her head against his chest (almost bear, with the bandages).

All of the confusion and sorrow leaves Shu's face in an instant; he smiles warmly, wraps an arm around Bouquet's shoulders and lays a hand on top of her head. With an odd little pang, Kluke notices that the expression he's wearing is a cross between the way he used to look at Tsubasa and Kluke herself. She doesn't quite know what to make of it.

"Shu," Bouquet chokes his name out. "Shu... I-I... I was so scared."

"It's alright," he soothes her, sounding like he used to when he comforted Hibiki during the thunderstorms of the rainy season, and Kluke has to bite her lip despite not completely knowing why it's so necessary. "It's okay, Bouquet. I'm fine. See?" He leans back, smile widening as he meets Bouquet's eyes.

And then, like being punched in the stomach, Kluke realizes what it is.

Shu is looking at Bouquet with _affection_.

Something coils in the pit of her stomach, something _like_ jealousy but not. It's more... melancholic, rather than envious. A feeling of deep loss, of failed opportunities and missed chances.

Kluke would be lying if she said that she never had feelings for Shu, had never (in the privacy of her own mind) felt more for him than friendship.

Does she feel that way still? Honestly, she doesn't know. She doesn't even know if she wants to or not.

She comes back to reality when Bouquet cheerfully says, "Kluke made you all better!" Bouquet beams at her like she's the best person in the world, and Kluke feels guilty and sick with herself. Bouquet is naive and innocent and sweet; she has done nothing wrong. She does _not_ deserve to be thought of in the way Kluke's thinking had been headed. It's unfair and wrong. Especially since in these past few days, even though seeing her at Shu's bedside was uncomfortable, Kluke came to think of the other girl as... a friend.

Besides, considering what Shu knows of her, and if Shu is still as brave and wonderful as he was two years ago, it's little wonder that Bouquet is gaping at him like a puppy.

(Good _God_, the girl has a crush on him.)

"She did, huh?" Shu is still smiling, but it's strained now, and she's starting to think that he's doing it - at least now that Kluke has been mentioned - for Bouquet's sake. "That's... good to hear. Thank you, Kluke."

He almost says it like he's talking to a stranger.

And that is simply too much for Kluke to bear.

"Well," she says, too brightly, "I'll leave you two alone for now. I'll come back in an hour or so and check your bandages."

Alarmed, Shu holds out a hand. "Kluke, wait a minute-"

She shuts the door in the middle of his plea before falling to her knees, shoving her fist against her mouth to muffle her sobs.

* * *

><p>He stares at the closed door for a long time. <em>Kluke...<em>

It's surreal; still feels impossible. He almost thinks he's having a very intricate hallucination. But Bouquet had seen Kluke and said her name, and he's in enough pain (physical and mental) to be convinced that this is real.

He almost wishes he was still asleep.

He'd convinced himself she had to be dead - had relied on it, even, to give him a reason to fight and stop Grand Kingdom and then Rosenkreuz, to both avenge her and prevent other people from suffering the way he and Kluke had - especially after the Fall of Galleon, when all of the surviving imprisoned children had been released. She always took care of him; he depended on her, and she watched over him. Surely if she had lived, Kluke would have sought him out.

But from what he can tell, Kluke had thought he was dead just as he had thought about her. Even if she hadn't said it, despite her smiling demeanor, she had looked at Shu as though he was a ghost.

"Shu?" Bouquet, still a little teary-eyed, blinks up at him in concern. "Are you feeling okay?"

_You don't know the half of it, little one._ The thought is both his own and not-his-own (_Blue Dragon_), but it mostly belongs to him. He forces a smile. "Yeah, I'm good. A little sore, a little tired, but all in all, I feel fine."

"I..." Her lips tremble. "I was so worried... I thought you'd never wake up again..."

Shu tucks her against his side. "The feeling was mutual." Accidentally echoing Kluke's earlier words, he shivers, remembers seeing Bouquet lying limply on the ground, unmoving; remembers feeling like he'd lost everything all over again. "For a while, I... I'd been so sure that you weren't going to get up again."

Thinking about it now, though, with a slightly clearer head, Shu realizes that Bouquet had gotten up and even talked to him, after he awakened Blue Dragon. That he had and still feels the terror, unconscious and then conscious, is irrational. He tries to banish the inexplicable fear, but it refuses to completely fade.

He snaps out of it in time to hear Bouquet say, "I'm glad you're okay, Shu."

Shu grips her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "I'm glad you are, too."

And even with all of the uncertainty and long-buried grief being dug up, Bouquet is still here with him, and that is more than enough to keep Shu going.

* * *

><p>"Kluke?" He finds her in the hallway, bracing herself with one hand against the wall. "Are you alright?" It's probably the biggest understatement he's ever made; she looks green and sickly, and he nearly expects her to throw up at any second.<p>

"I have something to tell you." Kluke sounds defeated, and it's such a foreign sound from her that it leaves Jiro both extremely baffled and deeply disturbed. "The same thing I keep trying to tell you, but that I'm never able to. I might as well do it now, I suppose. Things can't get much worse."

"Kluke, what's going on? What's wrong?" His mind is whirling, trying to figure what in the world has gotten into her.

"I've been trying to figure out how to tell you," she continues like she hasn't heard him, hiking up his concern. "I don't know what you'll think once I've told you. I've been inadvertently trying to avoid it, I guess, because I'm afraid of what your reaction will be. But... I think I know how to say it now." She nods, almost to herself. "A few days ago, I went to pick something up from the market. I also went to tell that woman the kids have been staying with to keep them there until I, or one of us, tell her that I'm ready for them to come back. I usually do that when there's a patient with severe injuries, especially if there's a lot of blood. It's why I let them sleep over so much in the first place. I had another reason this time, though." Kluke's eyes meet his, and she looks the most aware and alive she has since she started talking to him. "Jiro... Do you know anyone named Jina?"

The world is turning upside down.

It must be, he thinks, because everything is tilted and spinning and he might pass out and _God_, he can't _breathe_- "What..." His voice is distant, like it's coming from someone else, and it sounds small and vulnerable - the first time it's sounded that way since he was ten. "What did you say?"

And then there's a tremendous crash outside.

* * *

><p>Zola is the first one outside.<p>

_Not_ good.

There are two of them, both Shadow Users, and those very Shadows are already out. They're both relatively young, all things considered; younger than she'd expected, in any case. One looks about eighteen or nineteen, and the other can't be any older than thirteen.

But it is their eyes that give them away. This duo has seen much of battle, and they have their fair share of experience.

This will not be an easy fight.

It would be little _better_, though, if Jiro would just get out here already.

"Ah," the eldest starts, "the _illustrious_ Zola." The adjective is sneering, condescending. "Rogi-sama has spoken very highly of you. I do hope that you'll live up to his expectations. Although," his smirk grows, "the 'living' part won't last much longer, unless you choose to stay out of our way."

"I thought Rogi would send someone eventually. I've started to wonder what was keeping him." She keeps her voice cool, calculated, mentally trying to plan the best course of action. She can take them, probably, though she'll most likely pay for it afterwards. If only they'd attacked tomorrow or the day after; then she could have fought them at full strength, and they wouldn't stand a chance. She'll have to make due with what she's got, though. Resourcefulness is part of survival, and if Zola is anything, she's a survivor. "Still, I didn't expect him to send a pair of _boys_ to face me."

The older one's lip curls downward. "Don't underestimate us. This is your last warning: don't interfere and no harm will come to you."

"Sorry. Not _interested_." With the last word, she brings out Killer Bat. "Ray Stinger!"

When the hit connects, there's an explosion - but the only damage it does is to the ground they were standing on. They were good enough to dodge.

...Yes, this might be a little tricky.

"Zola!" She turns after hearing her name called, sees Jiro exiting the house. But actually seeing him pulls her up short - his expression is shaken, and his eyes have a broken look to them. Zola mentally swears. She needs him on top of his game right now!

The blond scoffs. "Another one, eh? And a child, at that; probably isn't even half as strong as Zola." He chuckles as Jiro growls, and Zola almost snaps at him to keep his head. Jiro isn't a Shadow User, and these two are recognizably veterans at using Shadow power; if he's not careful, he can get killed very easily in this encounter. "Well, then. Time to _finish_ this."

The blue-haired boy sneaks a quick glance at his companion, looking a little... panicky? Definitely hesitant. Either way, the behavior is out of place, and Zola tries unsuccessfully to decipher what it might mean. "Schneider, wait a minute-"

But the elder ignores him as he cries out what must be his Shadow's name, "_Isabel_!" The lavender-toned Shadow moves swiftly, pulling out what looks like a bow-

And then there are too many arrows flying at them to count.

"Jiro, dodge!" Hoping that her apprentice has heard, Zola jumps to the right, rolling as she hits the ground. She hears a loud sound behind her as she flips over and over before finally landing in a crouch. Quickly, she looks behind her-

-just in time to see one of the arrows explode against the clinic's roof.

* * *

><p>Shu only has a second to realize that the ceiling is falling on top of them, and then he's grabbing Bouquet and shoving her to the ground as she screams, covering her with his arms as planks and debris rain down on them.<p>

Considering how much noise it had made, he's surprised at how little damage there is. Only a little bit fell on them, and it barely had enough force to bruise, if even that. He starts sitting up to assess the damage, and immediately hisses in pain from the pull on his wounded abdomen. He has to remember that he's hurt now; he can't overexert himself, or things will be worse.

"Shu!" Bouquet is upset, clearly able to tell that he's exacerbated his injuries, and he curses his own stupidity. "Are you hurt?_!_"

"Fine." He grounds out, not anywhere close to fine - even _breathing_ is starting to hurt now, and isn't that just brilliant - but not wanting to worry her anymore than necessary. After all, the roof didn't blow _itself_ up. They need to get moving, maybe need to fight, and Shu is already on his last legs; he needs Bouquet calm and able right now, though if it really comes down to it he'll end up fighting anyway, injury or no, because he refuses to let anything happen to her again.

The whole house shakes as something slams into the wooden building from outside, causing more broken boards to fall on their heads from above; Bouquet squeaks when one smacks her directly in the middle of her head. Taking that as a cue that they need to go _right now_, Shu hoists her up by the arm and make for the door.

By the time they've made it out into the hallway and have begun heading for the stairs leading to the first floor, Shu is panting with exertion, sweating from the pain. He doesn't know how long he can keep this up. His mind is alert, but his body can't sustain this pace.

When they reach the bottom of the staircase, Shu has to lean on Bouquet in order to stay even remotely upright. Though he's never seen it before, he can tell that the living room is in sorry shape; a thick layer of little wood fragments cover everything, and much of the furniture has been overturned. Just as they start heading for the front door, from behind them comes a, "Wait!"

"Kluke?" Shu tilts his head to the side, unable to fully turn, trying to see her from the corner of his eye. "What are you-"

"You can't go out there!" She runs over his words with her own. "There's some kind of battle going on, and with your injuries, it's- it's just too dangerous!"

Just then, what sounds like another explosion comes from outside; they're showered with more bits from the ceiling. When there's a lull in the destruction, Shu snaps bitingly, "Because staying in here is _so_ much safer?" For just a second - for just a brief, fleeting second, it's almost like he and Kluke are on their old footing, that strange relationship of protectiveness and bickering.

It feels like it goes far too soon.

"I'm not doing this with you _now_," Kluke breathes out, exasperated. "Bouquet, stay with Shu and make sure he doesn't hurt himself." With that, she heads outside.

A small part of him wondering if things haven't changed as much between them as it seemed, Shu swears at her as she goes, "Kluke, for God's sake, stop treating me like a baby!"

* * *

><p><em>Jina.<em>

His every intention, every thought, keeps coming back to that impossible dream that leaves him feeling both complete and hollow.

_Jina._

Every move, every response, every reaction... Everything, all of it, is automatic. He knows they're fighting. He knows he has to help Zola. Beyond that, he's aware of nothing. Nothing, except for-

_Jina._

"_Enough_!_!_!" The voice pierces through the clouds in his mind, everything becoming startlingly clear. He spins around, sees Kluke in the clinic doorway. Her countenance is stormy, every inch of her speaking that if they intend to bring war to her doorstep, she will bring it to theirs. "This is a place of healing! You actually have the _nerve_ to fight here like this! It's disgraceful! I will not allow you to continue-" She breaks off all of a sudden, expression turning from livid to dismayed. "...Andropov?"

Jiro turns when he hears someone behind him make a choked noise. The younger of their two opponents looks horrified. "Kluke, don't-"

"How perfect." The older one laughs. "Remember to stay on your toes, Andropov. Now," he resumes his fighting stance, "let's put an end to this, Isabel!" His Shadow lets out a cry before unleashing more arrows-

-but crystals freeze their progress in the air before they get very far, and then brings them harmlessly to the ground. "Stop it, Schneider!"

"Don't forget what we came here for." The blond - Schneider? - glares at the smaller one.

"Andropov!" He hears Kluke's cry a second too late, and then she's running past Jiro too fast for him to stop.

He still tries to grab her, losing his footing and nearly ending up on the grass. "Wait a minute-!"

"Kluke, stop!" Jiro's head spins. _That voice... It can't be..._ But when he looks, sure enough, Shu stands in the doorway like Kluke had a moment ago, resting heavily against Bouquet. Spots of blood dot the bandages on his chest; Shu is up and around, but he's paid for it.

"Andropov!" Vaguely, Jiro feels like he's being pulled in two directions; he twists his head the other way _again_. Kluke stands very near to the Shadow User boy, a hand on his arm. "Why are you doing this?_!_ I... I thought..." She trails off, unable to continue whatever she'd been attempting to say.

Andropov turns his head away, looking anguished. "It's complicated."

"You're _blowing up my house_!" Kluke practically shrieks at him. "I don't think it gets any simpler than that! I just-" She breaks off, abruptly looking tired. "I just want to know _why_, Andropov."

He looks like he's caught in a trap. "I- I-"

"Andropov!" Schneider cuts through the younger boy's stuttering. "What are you waiting for?_!_"

Kluke glances around, bewildered. "What is he talking about, Andropov? What's going on?"

"I'm setting off the signal now," Schneider presses some kind of button, trying to be discreet but not quite hitting the mark, "and I won't be the one to explain this to Rogi-sama if we fail."

A Rosenkreuz battleship crests over the mountaintops. Jiro feels a chill up and down his spine.

Andropov squeezes his eyes shut-

-and then reaches out and clasps Kluke's arm roughly. "Come with me." His tone has changed, turned hard, though Jiro is certain that he isn't imagining a slight tremor. "Now."

Jiro starts running towards them, knowing he'll never make it but unable to just stand by and not _try_.

"Andropov-" Kluke tries to pull away from him, stumbling when she fails to break out of his grip. "What are you- _wait_!"

"Come _on_." Frustrated, Andropov pulls harder.

"Hornet Assassin!" Zola has the attack aimed at Andropov's Shadow.

"Alfheim!" But Andropov has it throw up crystals like a shield. They shatter, and Kluke cries out as some land on them, but otherwise Zola has been unsuccessful in stopping them.

The idea of Zola failing at anything is so insane that Jiro can't believe it really just happened.

"Getting in the way again, are you?" Schneider laughs at her. "Let's see if we can _do_ something about that. Luminous Ball!" Isabel uses the bow to hit a sphere of light, sending it hurtling towards Killer Bat. Zola just barely dodges it; the attack leaves a crater behind.

Jiro is up and dashing after Kluke and Andropov again. Behind him, he hears Shu shouting Kluke's name, hopes he won't be reckless enough to try and do anything in his condition.

He's starting to close in on them; for one wild and optimistic second, Jiro thinks that he just might make it.

It is just then the a shadow is cast over Kluke and Andropov.

The battleship is over them.

"Let's go, Andropov!" Unsummoning his Shadow, Schneider leaps towards them, landing lightly behind his young companion.

Alfheim's red jewel glows, and crystal starts to form behind the three of them.

"_No_!" Jiro pushes himself to his limit, unwilling to accept that it's too late-

Kluke spins around, thrusting her hand out towards him. "_Jiro_!"

And then, like flower petals closing, they are shut inside of a crystalline formation that floats into one of the battleship's hatches.

* * *

><p>Andropov shakes off the crystal form as soon as they're aboard, unsummoning Alfheim without a second thought. He glances down. Kluke lies sprawled on the metal floor of the ship, unconscious, hair fanning out from the hair tie and hands curled near her face.<p>

What has he done?

"So," Schneider smirks at him on the aside. "Are you going to carry your lady friend, or shall I?"

"Shut _up_, Schneider! I-" _I shouldn't have done this,_ is what he wants to say, but he knows that he can't. Andropov doesn't know if Schneider would tell Rogi-sama, but he also knows his friend won't tolerate going against orders for - at least, what the elder would consider - a stupid little crush.

But it doesn't feel little. It doesn't feel little at all.

This is likely the biggest, most tremendous thing that has happened to Andropov in his entire life.

He hasn't wanted to admit it to himself. Has _refused_ to acknowledge it.

Andropov lifts Kluke into his arms, holding her carefully against his chest, and as her head lolls against his collarbone he knows it for sure.

...He's fallen in love with her.

* * *

><p>"<em>Kluke<em>!_!_ _Kluke_!_!_!" And this last shout of her name brings Shu to his knees. His hands fist in the grass and dirt, digging his fingers in deep and gritting his teeth, his fury bringing out the need to gnaw and tear. He swears at the ground, cursing himself and anything else, until his hoarse voice once again rises to a shout, thrashing mentally because he doesn't have the strength to do it for real.

"Shu..." And then Bouquet's hand alights on his bare shoulder.

The soft touch sends a sob exploding out of his chest like cannon fire, and then the tears are pouring down in earnest, a torrent that turns the soil under him to mud.

_Failed... I failed her again..._

"You'll only fail her if you sit there feeling sorry for yourself," Jiro's voice, razor sharp, and Shu realizes that he must have said his thoughts aloud. "If you really care that much, then you'll do everything in your power to get her back."

"_Jiro_!" Bouquet sounds affronted. It's odd, considering who it's coming from and who it's directed at. "How can you-"

"He's right," Shu says quickly, because it's true and Bouquet shouldn't be getting in unnecessary fights, especially if they are uncalled for. "Jiro is right. I shouldn't be sitting here wallowing in self-pity." He pushes to his feet, ignoring Bouquet's small noise of protest, and nods at Jiro. "Thank you." It's full of grief, but still genuine.

And then the swordswoman surprises him all. "Lieutenant Commander Shu Shiomizu?" She poses his name as a question.

Shu tenses, trying to hold in his fight-or-flight mode, at least until he's certain that it's necessary. Carefully, he asks, "You know my rank and full name?" Chances are that the woman and Jiro found out his first name from either Kluke or Bouquet; honestly, Shu would be surprised if they hadn't. But only Kluke has his last name memorized; Bouquet's only heard it in passing, and that's only when his boss screamed it at the top of his lungs, and more often that not she was more focused on wincing at the volume than the words he was saying. But what really has him on edge is that no one here (counting Kluke, though she's now absent) knows that he's a lieutenant commander; he's never told Bouquet his rank, and he doesn't think Kluke knows that he's even a part of the Resistance.

Who is this person, and just how exactly does she know him so well?

"Two years ago, you and thirty-seven other children from Talta Village were captured by Grand Kingdom," he jerks back like she's slapped him. "You were held long enough to register your capture, but you escaped approximately five and a half hours after you'd been taken. You were one of five children who managed to get free before the Fall of Galleon. You and the other four were never experimented on. And of those children that came from Talta, all experiments yielded negative results."

"Results? What results? What were they experimenting for?" The question burns on his tongue, the curiosity acidic in nature. It's a question that has tormented ever since Kluke helped him get away: why did Grand Kingdom take them in the first place?

"To see which of you were natural Shadow Users. But, more specifically, to find out which of you were the Warriors of Light."

The words floor him. _Bouquet was right..._ But... It's _insane_ to think they would actually go to such savage heights for such a ridiculous reason. He lost _everything_ because a bunch of fools were chasing after some myth?

_But it's not _quite_ a myth, is it?_ Him and not-him, and Shu must concede that it's a valid point. He's summoned Blue Dragon. It's highly unlikely, but not entirely impossible, as much as he doesn't like to admit it. _It still doesn't excuse Grand Kingdom's actions, though._

"I've been trying to find the Warriors of Light. Originally in order to stop Nene. Currently... Though I will tell you eventually, for now, my reasons are my own. The ancient ruins outlying Talta Village depict the Shadow Blue Dragon, one of the Shadows that belonged to the Seven. By the time I had arrived there, though, Grand Kingdom had already taken all of the children in the village. By the time I managed to catch up with them, Galleon had fallen, and most of the children had already gone free. I searched the computer mainframe in search of information it might have had; I held no illusions that Nene had wanted the children experimented on for any other reason than to find the Warriors of Light, who would undoubtedly have given him tremendous power if he could find a way to harness it. I managed to turn up the experimentation results, and I combed through them for any evidence. None of the experiments had turned up positive for Shadow Users, though, so I knew that the Warriors of Light had to either be two of the five children that had run away, or they were in a place that Grand Kingdom didn't have the opportunity to touch."

"Two," Shu furrows his eyebrows, not understanding and not liking it. "You said two, but why? Is there more than one Warrior of Light in Talta?" _Is it Kluke? Is that why they... why they took her?_ He wants to know if that's the case, but he's not sure he can handle the answer, confirmed or not, or even bear to ask the question.

"No, there isn't." She sighs. "The other possible candidate was the girl Kluke and your friends brought with them, a survivor of the destroyed village of Mafe."

"You knew." Jiro says, flat and numb. "You knew Jina was alive, and you never said anything. You never told me, Zola."

"I didn't know how you would take it." The woman - _Zola_ - pinches between her eyebrows. Frustration - it's the most expressive emotion that Shu has seen on her. "It took me a while before I was even sure it was your sister, Jiro. I planned to seek out Kluke anyway, and I intended to confirm it then. I didn't want to give you false hope. And... You were so convinced that you had been the only one to survive Grand Kingdom's attack, so set on your revenge... I wasn't sure how well you'd be able to handle it-"

"What is _wrong_ with you?_!_" Jiro seethes. "You and Kluke - neither of you told me anything, because I, apparently, couldn't '_handle it_'." The emphasis has scathing intensity. "For God's sake, the two of you are treating me like I'm- like I'm a piece of _glass_ or something!" And Shu notices then that Jiro looks he just might be shattering, and it would be a funny kind of irony if it wasn't so terribly tragic.

"And I suppose that's why you're taking this so calmly?" There's a chilled sort of authority to her tone, and Jiro's shoulders slump, cowed into silence. Zola sighs again. "Your sister is safe for now, though. She isn't relative to our current situation. They've taken Kluke, but why?" She nods at Shu. "They already know that Shu is the one who possesses Blue Dragon. We need to figure out why they've taken her, and more importantly than that, we have to get her back."

"They might be trying to lure Shu into a trap," Jiro says, more subdued. "They know that they're both from Talta and likely know each other. And Blue Dragon is supposed to be one of the strongest Shadows of all; trapping him would make sense for any assortment of reasons."

"Perhaps," is all that Zola says in response, not dismissive but absentminded; Shu can practically _see_ the gears turning in her head. "In any case, standing here talking about it won't help. We should get moving soon."

"Where _are_ we going?" Bouquet shifts her feet beside him, looking nervous about entering the conversation but still wanting to know. "I mean, they took her but where-"

"_You_ are not going anywhere," Shu cuts across. Bouquet will _not_ be put in harm's way, not if he has anything to say about it. He's just lost Kluke for a second time; he won't lose Bouquet twice as well. "_I_ am going with Jiro and Zola. You're staying here, Bouquet."

"I am not!" Bouquet stomps her foot, childish and petulant, or that could just be because his concern is skewing his prospective. Either way, Shu's hackles rise. "I want to save Kluke, too!"

"It's too dangerous," he grips his arms, not caring - actually _glad_ - when his fingernails bite into his skin. "I won't let you come."

"I'm not a baby!" Her temper is rising, and Shu can't remember her ever being so angry before. "I can help!"

"No you _can't_-"

"Actually," Zola interrupts him smoothly, "she can. After all, for our task, it would be quite invaluable to have assistance from the talents of one of the Ra Clan."

Bouquet's face goes very still. "... How do you know that?"

"Your skill is incredible, exceedingly hard to detect. But I've been around for a long time." Zola shrugs lightly. "Two days ago, you used your ability to turn invisible and eavesdropped on a conversation between Jiro and I."

Her eyes widen in alarm, face flushing in shame. "I- I didn't mean-"

Zola holds up a hand. "I have no doubt that you did it with the best intentions. I didn't mean to bring this up to accuse you." She twists her wrist, palm facing up. An offer. "However, your power would be a tremendous help to us, should you choose to use it to aid us in our task."

Bouquet opens her mouth, but Shu is quicker - and a lot madder. "I don't agree with this," his teeth grind together. "I _refuse_ to. I will not allow Bouquet to put her life in jeopardy just because it makes things _easier_." He shakes his head. "She stays here."

"I don't think so." Bouquet digs her heels in, looking like she's ready for a fight. "You heard Zola, didn't you? I can use my powers to become invisible. So if you leave me behind, I'll just use my invisibility to follow you, and there won't be anything you can do about it." She glares at him, and Shu can't help the way his stomach drops all of a sudden.

How did he and Bouquet get on opposing ends like this?

Before anything else can be said, though, Zola folds her arms and speaks, "A very valid point, Bouquet. And Shu, I would also like to add that if you wish to save Kluke, you will need my help. And I won't give you any help at all unless Bouquet comes with us."

He clenches his hands into fists, shutting his eyes. What an impossible choice. He isn't stupid; even as determined as he is to find Kluke, Shu knows that he's in no shape to do it on his own. Heck, he might not be that successful with _help_.

Is he willing to risk Bouquet's life for Kluke's? And who is he, to make such a decision?

_I'm someone that cares about both of them._ He opens his eyes again. _And I..._

Shu makes his choice.

* * *

><p>She's never quite sure what wakes her up, but as soon as she's conscious she becomes aware that her head aches, so smacking her forehead on something seems like a reasonable possibility.<p>

Groaning, she glances around with blurry eyes, blinking in order to clear the cloudiness.

And that is when she becomes aware of the metal walls surrounding her.

Trapping her.

"No..." It starts out as a croak, but the next gains strength as panic sets in, "_No_!" She moves to get up-

And can't. The reason is that her wrist is encircled with a band of metal, connected by a chain to an identical one that is locked around the iron leg of her bed. She shrieks and sobs, pulling furiously and irrationally, but all it does is rub her skin raw to the verge of it being ready to break open and bleed.

When she's exhausted herself, Kluke falls onto the bed and cries her eyes out.

She risked her life to get away from this. Spent two years running away so that she and the ones she'd sworn to protect would not be forced into that life of fear that still haunts their sleep.

And at last, it's finally caught up with her, and there is no way out for her again.

Bitterness and betrayal mesh together in her stomach, swirling like a violent swarm. _Andropov..._ She had _trusted_ him. She had thought that he... That maybe he...

Well. It doesn't matter now, does it?

At the least, he thought nothing of her; didn't even consider her a friend.

And at worst, he had been using her compassion all along.

Kluke isn't sure which one hurts worse.

She curls up on the bed, heart aching and feeling lost. She thinks of Shu and Jiro, and wonders if she'll ever see them again before drifting off into fitful slumber.

* * *

><p>Bouquet wants to turn around. Wants to <em>really badly<em>, but she knows that she won't be able to handle it.

Wants _desperately_ to turn around and look at Shu, who has been sullen and glaring daggers at anyone who dares to meet his gaze. But it seems that his most scathing stares are specifically reserved for Bouquet.

She knows that he's upset. Bouquet doesn't like it when Shu is upset.

And it makes her feel even worse to know that she is the cause.

But... She _couldn't_ stay behind, _couldn't_ allow herself to be left. Kluke had helped Shu, had been nice and kind to Bouquet, and she refuses to just sit by and wait for her to be brought back. She will help Kluke, and nothing is going to stand in her way!

Besides... Being left felt too much like being abandoned, and Bouquet is tired of losing the people she cares about, whether they want to leave her or not.

She's become so caught up in her thoughts that Bouquet doesn't notice she has walked too close to Jiro until she bumps into him. "S-sorry." She stutters out the apology, feeling like an idiot.

"It's fine." From her observations, Jiro is not especially noisy, and likes being the center of attention even less than Shu (that's saying a lot - if he gets thanked, he'll get all shy, and crowds make him kinda skittish). But now that Kluke has been taken away, Jiro's become more quiet than usual, given to looking off into the distance for long periods of time, and sometimes - when he thinks no one is listening - he'll mumble things that always include Kluke's name or someone called Jina (were Jiro and Zola saying that was the name of his sister? Bouquet didn't know he even _had_ a sister).

He looks very lost.

She wishes that she knew what to _say_.

Everyone always seems so sad now. Even Kluke had, before she'd been captured. And Bouquet doesn't know what to do to make them all happy.

And perhaps there isn't a way for her to solve everything at once.

But maybe, with small steps, she can get them that much closer.

Bouquet gives Jiro's shoulder a brief pat, and the look he turns on her is so utterly astonished that she almost loses her nerve. But she continues regardless, "We're going to get Kluke back. No matter what."

Jiro stares at her for a long, long moment.

And then the corner of his mouth quirks up in a lopsided smile.

* * *

><p>He clenches the tray tightly, feeling the chill of the metal even through the thick material of his gloves. Stopping at the proper door, he takes a slow, deep breath.<p>

_You can do this. You can _do_ this. All you have to do is open the door and set this food down in front of-_

He chokes, his brain tripping over the name, chest seizing painfully, and he wonders fleetingly if this is what having a heart attack feels like. Then he just thinks that he's overreacting and being ridiculous.

It isn't without cause, though.

With one last intake and then expelling of breath, he braces himself, feeling vaguely like he's about to meet his executioner, and balances the tray against himself before using a single fist to knock on the door.

There is no response. Not that he'd been expecting one.

(Though he had, irrationally, been hoping for one.)

With a little sigh, he closes a hand around the knob and twists until it opens.

Being that it's morning, the lighting wouldn't have been that good, except that someone has come and lit the lantern situated on the table opposite the wall which the bed rests against. He wonders who might've done it - for obvious reasons, she couldn't have done it herself - but dismisses the thought, categorizing it is unnecessary.

He does not need thoughts that are _unnecessary_.

And if he had stuck by that rule for _everything_, maybe this wouldn't be so horrendously difficult.

That, and she's facing away from him, staring out the window and ignoring his presence entirely, hands clenched tightly in her lap.

Does she even know who it is?

Clearing his throat, he says into the silence, "I brought you some breakfast, Kluke."

Apparently, she didn't know it was him, because then her head whirls around so quickly that his own neck twinges in sympathy, her eyes widening with surprise at the sight of him.

And then her stare turns so venomous... Completely, utterly filled with _hate_.

...So. _This_ is what having your heart broken feels like.

Right, then.

He lowers his eyes to the floor, even though it does little good; he can still feel her eyes on him, piercing him, and he feels like he's dying inside a little bit at a time. With careful steps, he approaches her, setting down the tray of food at the foot of her bed. He chances a look, and regrets it immediately - the green pair is still like a knife, and the more he looks at it, the more it twists into his heart, going deeper and wider, and out of impulse he reaches out until his fingers are gently holding her arm, "Kluke, I-"

"Get _away_ from me." And though her anger is potent, burning him alive, she quivers under his touch and there is fear in her voice.

Kluke - wonderful, strong, beautiful Kluke - is _afraid_.

Afraid, because of what he's done.

She is afraid of _him_.

It hurts as much as the fact that she hates him. More, actually, because while he'd never dared to hope that she returned his ill-timed crush, he had at least been sure that they were _friends_.

He does not want this. He wishes he'd never taken her, that none of this had ever happened. It has ruined everything between them. She will probably never forgive him (rightly so; he doesn't forgive him, either).

But the very least, as hard as it will be, he can try to make this right.

He may be more than a little crazy. He will most certainly pay for what he is about to do.

Andropov knows, though, with all of his heart, that this is the right thing to do. And the only thing that he is surer of is how very much he loves her.

It is with this absolute certainty that he lightly takes hold of her wrist before sliding his hand into his pocket, pulling out the key, and using it to unlock the cuff that had been keeping her trapped in this one spot.

She goes limp in his grasp, staring at him in shock. "Andropov..."

He gazes at her sadly. "That which should be free cannot be kept caged."

Kluke's expression instantly becomes very soft, and he knows that she's remembering when they first met, how she'd told him that little children's story about the bird in the cage while he'd recovered in her clinic. Her tone is tender when she speaks, "And it is those whose hearts are just and true that know they must be freed."

The words break the dam holding in all of his feelings, and it takes all of Andropov's willpower to not practically bawl in front of her as he says, "I'm so sorry, Kluke. Oh God, I'm so sorry... I... I never meant for any of this to happen-"

She shushes him, taking his hands. "Don't. It's alright." He doesn't feel like he deserves to touch her, and tries to pull away, but while her grip is gentle, it is also firm. "Look at me, Andropov." Her voice is so kind, and he feels too ashamed to do as she asks. Eventually, though, her fingers hook under his chin and Kluke does it for him. His shame grows when he sees that she is smiling at him. "It's okay. You don't need to say anymore. I just..." Kluke's lips pull downwards, and she looks like she's fighting the urge to cry herself. Her nail brushes his neck, a whisper-touch that is there and then gone, when her fingers flex, and it makes Andropov swallow against the tickling sensation. "I thought... I didn't know what to think. Maybe you'd done it because you were using me, or hated me."

"No!" He jerks, alarmed at the very _idea_ of it. "I..." _I love you._ "I would never think that about you. No matter what happened, Kluke, I would never, ever think that."

Her smile becomes larger, truer, and warmth stirs in his chest. "I'm glad." But then Andropov remembers their situation. She must detect the change, because Kluke's face becomes more serious. "What is it, Andropov?"

"I can't do more, though. If I unlock the door," _you have no idea how badly I want to,_ "they will kill us both."

Kluke only nods though. "I understand."

"Give me time, though." He squeezes her hand. "I'll find a way to save you, Kluke. I swear it."

"Please don't do anything dangerous." She looks at him worriedly, concern etched in every inch of her frown.

The corner of his mouth lifts. "I won't."

It takes a lot of stopping and starting, but at last Andropov manages to extract himself from Kluke's presence, feeling a chill through him as he does, with the promise that he'll return as soon as he can. When he's back out in the ship's hallway, he stares up at the ceiling and catches his breath.

Dear _God_, they're going to _hang_ him.

* * *

><p>Zola glances around at her companions. Jiro - trapped in his own melancholy. Bouquet - a nervous wreck. And Shu - fuming and fit to explode at any moment.<p>

... Well. This might be a little more difficult than she first anticipated.

She can make it work, though. She always has. If she'd let such restrictions stop her before, she would have been dead a long time ago.

"Alright, everyone," Zola announces as soon as they come to a stop. "Accomplishing it may not be easy, but our goal is simple. We need to enter this outpost and go to the computer room. There, we will discover Kluke's whereabouts. An event such as that would have been reported and then logged in all outposts." They don't need to know _why_ she is so certain of this, of course. It would not be wise to mention now, or ever, considering both Jiro and Shu's respective histories. "After that, we leave immediately for that location."

Shu's arms are akimbo as he quirks an eyebrow at her. "And how do you propose that we get inside in the first place?"

Her own answer causes Zola to smirk. "Why, with our Shadows, of course."

* * *

><p>Despite his bad temper, even Shu is impressed with the way they enter the Rosenkreuz post.<p>

Really, using Killer Bat to lift them over the side of the wall, and then having the Shadow go _under_ the door to open its lock... Quite ingenious.

He'd be more amazed if he didn't feel so furious at everyone and everything.

Who do they think they _are_? To just put Bouquet's life on the line like this... What gives them the _right_-?

_Bouquet wanted to go. Does _she_ not have the right to decide her own fate?_

The inner voice sounds just like Ojisan - enough to make his chest ache - and it douses the fire of anger that has been burning in his chest since they left to find Kluke.

If he's a friend to her and then tries to control Bouquet's life, is he really that much better than the ones who used to pretend they were friends with her, yet couldn't stand Bouquet behind her back?

The comparison makes Shu cold all over.

...He has to make this right, somehow.

They find the computer room rather quickly. Zola uses the same trick with Killer Bat to get them inside, and with the way open, they carefully make their way inside. No one is in the room, but it's filled with computer consoles. Just looking at them makes Shu wince at how complicated to figure out they must be. Technology was always Kluke's thing, not his; he _has_ gotten a better handle on it now that he's gotten good with flying mechats, but there are some things that are still far over his head. Just as he thinks of this, though, Zola sits in front of one of them and starts typing away with an ease that catches him off guard.

Zola is apparently good at a lot of things.

But Jiro is watching Zola and the computer screen intently, and this seems like the best chance he's going to get. With a cautious step forward, he has to force her name to come out of his throat, even though it's little more than a whisper, "Bouquet..."

She faces him, and Shu's breath catches. Her eyes are so hurt...

How could he have messed up so badly _again_?

"I'm sorry," he blurts out, feeling foolish. This wasn't how he wanted to do this. Why do all of his apologies to Bouquet always get screwed up from the beginning? "I... I shouldn't have gotten so upset. You have the right to make your own choices, Bouquet. It was wrong for me to interfere." He twists his head away.

But he looks back when he feels a tug on his arm. Bouquet is smiling, small but sincere, and Shu feels his spirits lift. "It's okay. I don't mind." Her grip slackens, and hesitation flickers across her face. "Are... we still friends?"

He returns her smile with one of his own, taking hold of her slipping hand. "Of course we are."

The moment is broken when Zola says, "Shu. Bouquet. Both of you should come look at this."

Securing his hold on her, Shu pulls Bouquet with him until they come to stand on the side of Zola that Jiro isn't occupying. "What did you find?"

Zola types a few keys before answering, "They're still in flight, and are very near to where we are." A radar appears on the screen, showing flashing dots - a green one at the center, and another one, a few squares up, orange and moving. Zola points to the one that is showing movement. "This is the location of Rogi's ship."

"Rogi?" Shu's head snaps towards her. "As in _the_ General Rogi?" His stomach flip-flops in both eagerness and apprehension at the thought of facing the leader of Rosenkreuz, the very person he's been trying to stop for over two years.

"That's him. And I know that you're a member of the Resistance, and as such you're likely anxious to take him down, but I'd like to avoid a confrontation with him for now if at all possible." She rests her chin on folded hands. "Kluke has to be our priority for the moment. Trying to accomplish both right now would not be a wise course of action." She stands abruptly. "For now, our focus is getting on that battleship."

* * *

><p><strong>Though this is (almost) entirely different from what we discussed, all credit for Jina being here goes to An. :)<strong>

**While writing this, Andropov was quick to inform that if I was going to have so many Jiro x Kluke scenes (both that you've already seen as well as several that will come in the future), I had to give him a fair edge. I agreed to this. And my, did I enjoy doing it. You all know by now that I favor Jiro x Kluke heavily, but I particularly enjoyed writing the scenes between Andropov and Kluke this chapter – **_**especially**_** the one from Andropov's perspective. Also, I think that I've heard a similar story to that one about the bird in the cage, but I can't think of what it is. To be safe, I'll just say that it wasn't entirely my idea, because I know **_**something**_** inspired it.**


	9. Chapter Nine

**[November 27th – November 29th]**

* * *

><p>Using Blue Dragon to fly is a lot easier than Shu thought.<p>

It's almost like piloting a mechat, but is far more exhilarating. Magic and adrenaline thrum through his veins as the wind hits his face, clouds rushing past only mere feet away from him. In the ship, he felt like he was flying inside of something, but here, now, he feels like _he _is the thing that's flying.

As with most things, there are a few tiny bumps, however.

For what must be the third or fourth time, Bouquet squeals and clutches at his waist.

Except that this time when she does it, she throws herself at his back.

And he can feel everything.

... Everything.

_Everything_.

_Oh dear God, they're huger than they look, help._

Shu chokes on air. Blue Dragon chuckles slightly. Bouquet wails about how high they are and that they're going to fall.

It isn't the best of situations.

But... Once he gets past the sensation of her... large chest... pressed against his back, Shu starts to notice little things - her breath warming his shoulder blades, even through his shirt, as it ghosts over them like a caress; how underneath her left breast, he can feel her heartbeat thudding against his spine, tempo quick and panicked yet somehow reassuring; the way her arms are wrapped around him, how _good_ and _right_ it feels, and oddly wanting her to never let go.

Bouquet is holding him, and it feels _nice_.

Out of the corner of his eye, Shu sees Killer Bat slide up beside him and Blue Dragon. Zola is staring stoically ahead, but Jiro is looking at them. More specifically, he's looking at Shu.

Slyly.

And then he actually has the nerve to say, "Looks like things are going pretty good for you!"

Jiro has been upset because of Kluke and the new development about his sister. Shu can understand that. He respects that.

But, still...

The _nerve_!

"Oh, yeah! Real funny!" Shu snaps on the aside, ignoring Bouquet's noise of confusion. "Laugh it up, Jiro! I'll remember this!"

Jiro smirks at him. "Wouldn't have it any other way!"

The attitude rankles more than a little, but to be honest, Shu has to admit that it's refreshing to see him in a better mood.

Anything he might have said in response is lost when they fly into a cloud bank. Shu swears, Bouquet blubbering behind him. But then almost as quickly as they enter it, they're emerging again.

Right in the middle of the Rosenkreuz fleet.

* * *

><p>Andropov freezes in the hallway as the sirens sound.<p>

They're under attack.

He dashes towards the deck, knowing that Rogi-sama will likely be summoning them, all the while cursing his own stupidity for leaving his communicator behind.

A thought streaks across his mind before he has the chance to stop it. A chaotic atmosphere such as this... It would be an opportune time to help Kluke escape.

Andropov keeps running. For now, he has no choice but to bide his time and wait for the right moment.

* * *

><p>Jiro is still smirking - can't help it, really; dang, Shu should see his <em>face<em> - when the battleships open fire.

Killer Bat swerves to the right, and the breath leaves his lung as up becomes down and back again. Jiro thinks he might hear Bouquet screaming over the ammunition.

When Zola's Shadow has righted itself (himself?), he chances a glance to the right. Shu and Bouquet are much farther away from them then they had been, but aside from being a little tossed around, they seem otherwise unharmed. A weight he'd been unaware of lifts.

Zola swears. "Rogi..." His name is a growl on her lips. With no other warning, she accelerates. Shu shouts at them to slow down behind them, but the wind starts to carry his voice away.

Jiro gasps as a bullet comes too close, takes off a strand of hair that the rushing air currents had loosed from his typical hairstyle. It makes him both cautious and irritated.

Suddenly, he feels Zola stiffen in front of him. "Zola?" He says her name aloud, concerned, and for a moment he's afraid that she's going to have an attack right here in the middle of the sky.

But then she's directing Killer Bat forward with a purpose, and Jiro can see that she's heading for a particular ship, calling over her shoulder for Shu and Blue Dragon to follow. She must have spotted the one that belongs to Rogi.

He tightens his hold on her waist, preparing for whatever may be in store for them. _Hang on, Kluke. We're coming._

* * *

><p>Rogi grits his teeth, gripping the arms of his chair as the entire ship rocks.<p>

"There's been a breach! The Shadow Users are entering through a hole on the starboard side!" The soldier swivels his chair around to look at him. "What would you like us to do, sir?"

"Cease fire." Rogi grunts as he stands. "I will send troops from the Independent Raid Unit to deal with the intruders. And..." He grimaces. "Perhaps I will be paying our guests a visit myself."

A swish of his cape, and Rogi is gone.

* * *

><p>Shu lands in a crouch before straightening, turning around and offering a hand to Bouquet so he can help her down. Though he's more focused on making sure that Bouquet doesn't hurt herself on the way down, he can hear Zola and Jiro jumping off of Killer Bat nearby.<p>

All here and accounted for, able to bring out their Shadows again and ready to go. Good.

The four of them will need to stay sharp and alert to get through this in one piece.

His skin prickles. This goes against everything that he's been taught and learned through experience. You don't just _waltz_ through the enemy's stronghold like an afternoon walk. If you go in, you do it heavily armed and with some serious backup able to come to your aid at a moment's notice.

You don't go in with a group of four - an expert, a highly trained soldier, a skilled swordsman, and a girl that's such a kid that she couldn't even be considered a _green_.

... They're going to _die_.

_Giving up soon, are you?_ That thought is _entirely_ not-his, and so Shu fires back with, _Of course not._

He'd been wanting a challenge, hadn't he?

Now he's got it.

"This way!" Zola darts down the corridor with Jiro at her heels. Something flickers in him, something like a warning, but it's there and gone too fast for it to be solid.

And yet...

How does Zola know which way to go?

_Don't think about stupid things,_ he chides himself. _You don't question orders. Get it done, soldier._

The path twists circularly, and they're running at a constant curve to their right.

Just when it seems that they might be making progress, the ground explodes in front of them.

His head cracks against the floor, hard, and it's with great difficulty that he forces his eyes open. Everything spins crazily for a second or two before he shakes it off, pulling himself into a sitting position. He glances around, assessing the situation; they're all dazed, a little roughed up, but basically uninjured. With his companions all accounted for, Shu turns his attention to their attackers.

There are two, just like when they came to take Kluke, but this is a different pair - a man and woman, with blue and fuchsia hair respectively. He blinks at how the two colors contrast before deciding that it doesn't matter anyway.

An odd "poof" sound comes from behind him, and Shu turns to see what it is-

The spot where Bouquet had laid is now absent, her clothes and bag left on the floor.

Panic squeezes his throat in its clutches. "_Bouquet_!"

"Shh!" He jumps; the sound comes from right beside his ear. "My power, remember?" Bouquet's voice, and he slumps in relief as he realizes that she's turned invisible. "I'm going to go and search for Kluke, okay? Zola said she was down this way, so I'm bound to find her eventually." He hears what sounds like bare feet tapping on the floor, and her voice, when it comes next, is a little farther away. "Oh, and watch my things for me, will you?"

"Bouquet, wait a minute! _Stop_-"

He ducks as an iron sphere comes hurtling towards him, rolling out of the way. When he comes to a stop, he sees the ball retract into the lime green Shadow's shield. The blue-haired man, the User, smirks at him. "You'd do well to pay attention, young man."

Shu ignores him and starts shouting for again. "Bouquet!_!_ Bouquet, come back!_!_"

But she's either not talking to him or is already long gone; his calls receive no answer.

* * *

><p>As Bouquet tiptoes down the doorway, the realization hits her - she has no way to find Kluke.<p>

She knocks herself on the head. _How stupid!_ Bouquet sighs at herself. _You can't mess up here. You won't get any second chances._

But she freezes as she hears someone coming, then presses herself against the wall to listen.

One of the soldiers jerks his thumb at the door behind him. "What are we supposed to do with the prisoner now that there are enemies on board?"

The other shrugs. "How should I know? Just... Check on her, is all. Who knows? Maybe the Shadow Users that boarded us are here for the girl." He pats the other man on the shoulder. "I have to get back to my post. Take of yourself, you hear?"

"Yeah, yeah..." The first one brushes the second's hand away, which becomes a dismissive wave after the contact has been broken. As his friend leaves, he turns around to face the door, slipping a hand into his pocket...

It's the key. Her nerves jump with excitement. This is her chance!

She creeps up behind the man as he slips the key in and opens the door. And as he goes in, Bouquet goes with him.

Barely avoiding being closed in the doorway, she slumps against the wall and takes a moment to take a breath, albeit a quiet one. _I made it. I really made it._

Just as Bouquet opens her eyes to look around, the soldier says, "Hey! How did you get out?"

And there is Kluke, perched on the side of a bed, looking wide-eyed and caught.

Bouquet doesn't think, moves without giving it a thought. Her eyes dart about the room until they land on something promising - an empty silver tray, one that might have been used to carry food. As the man steps heavily towards Kluke, Bouquet crosses the room swiftly, grabbing the tray - ignoring his cry of surprise - and swinging it as hard as she can at the soldier's head.

With a cry, he falls to the ground. Apparently not giving the "floating" tray a second thought, Kluke just reacts, grabbing something that Bouquet didn't see before - a handcuff, chained to the bed - and claps it around the man's wrist.

"Kluke, you're okay!" The other girl's head lifts in shock, and Bouquet remembers that she can't see her. "It's Bouquet; I'm just invisible. There's no time to explain, though." Bouquet takes her wrist; Kluke gasps. "We have to go _now_, before they-"

"Kluke, what's going on?"

Bouquet whirls around to see that boy with light blue hair, a bewildered expression on his face. The one who took Kluke.

* * *

><p>Jiro jumps out of the way as the green Shadow uses its ball and chain again, cracking the ground where he once stood.<p>

For just a second, Jiro almost wishes he had a Shadow of his own.

And _there_, there it is again, that strange feeling tickling at the back of his mind, and it almost sounds like someone is _chuckling in his head_-

He leaps backwards as the dark pink Shadow crashes into the ground, leaving cracks behind when it lifts. Its User, the woman, gives him a grin that is on the verge of predatory. "Well, well, well," she looks him up and down; Jiro swallows, "what do we have _here_?"

"Really, Cynthia," her companion lets out a bark of laughter. "Do you honestly think that now is the time to play with him?"

"But he's so _cute_," the woman - Cynthia - takes three long strides forward, just until she's standing in front of Jiro, and he's too surprised to do anything at all when she reaches out and pokes him in the center of his chest, "_Aren't_ you?"

A round of what sounds like uncontrollable laughter snaps Jiro out of his inaction, and when he looks to the side he sees Shu bent nearly double in his mirth.

Jiro huffs in agitation. _Touché._ Well... One right turn deserves another, and all that; he'll give this one to Shu for free.

But _only_ because he deserves to have a little payback.

Then the woman, Cynthia, grabs his chin.

And whatever Shu might say later, he does _not_ squeak. (_"That's what it sounded like, though!" "Would you shut up about that already?_!)

She coos at him, "You can call me 'Oneechan'." Jiro hears Shu chortling in the background. "Okay, boy?"

Then Cynthia cries out suddenly as Killer Bat slams into her Shadow. She's still holding Jiro's chin as she gets thrown, and his neck gets twisted so badly that he's almost sure that he's pulled something, though as it is, it's probably a miracle that it didn't break. Zola lands a few feet away from him; she looks over her shoulder and says, "Shu, go with Jiro and find Bouquet!"

He sounds flabbergasted, "How did you-?"

"Never mind that!" Jiro can hear the tension in her voice. "Just go!"

"We can't leave you here like this!" He finds himself protesting before he can think about it. "You can't handle them both at once-!"

"I'll handle things here," she reaches out, places a hand on his arm, and some of his worry eases. "Trust me, Jiro."

His answer is immediate. "Always."

Zola nearly smiles. "Then go."

He stares up at her for a moment before nodding and doing as she asks, following Shu down the hall.

* * *

><p>The room is dead silent as they all stare at each other. (<em>Well<em>, the boy stares at Kluke. Does he even know Bouquet is here?)

And then Bouquet _moves_, reaching down and brandishing the silver tray again.

The boy gapes at it in undisguised awe and horror. "The-the _tray_-"

She swings it at his head, hearing Kluke cry out behind her, "Bouquet, no!"

It makes her hesitate, and the results are disastrous - she hits, maybe even dazes him, but he remains conscious.

Panic flooding her, Bouquet clutches blindly behind her until she turns up with Kluke's hand, and then she pulls the other girl along with her and through the doorway.

"Bouquet, hold on!" Kluke pulls at their clasped hands, but she _refuses_ to let go; now that she's found her, Bouquet is going to stick close to her until they're with Shu again.

"No! If we slow down, he'll catch us!"

"You don't understand!" Kluke sounds desperate. "He won't-!"

"I won't take that chance!" Bouquet shakes her head, even though it isn't visible to anyone but her. "He took you once, and I won't let him take you again!"

"Kluke, wait a minute!" The boy yells behind them, and Bouquet picks up the pace, near breathless with the urgency. "Don't go that way! It isn't safe-!"

As they round the corner, what Bouquet sees makes her skid to a halt, Kluke bumping into her from behind.

A man stands in the middle of the hallway. His hair is blond, and he has a scar over his eye.

Never before has she seen him, but Bouquet has looked at enough propaganda to know exactly who this person is, and her blood turns cold at the thought that there will be no escape for them.

Because in front of them stands the leader of Rosenkreuz - General Rogi.

* * *

><p>Shu shifts Bouquet's belongings so that he holds them in one arm, making it easier to run.<p>

It only just occurred to him a little while ago that they have absolutely no way to find her. They might get lucky, and when she sees them she'll call out, but other than that...

_Great. Just great._

He glances out of the corner of his eye, where Jiro is worriedly looking back the way they came. Knowing that the other boy is too preoccupied to notice, he allows himself a grin.

_Can't get much more obvious than that._ Out loud, Shu says, "You really care about her, don't you?"

"Huh?" Jiro's head snaps towards him, nearly tripping in his haste.

"Zola. She really means a lot to you, doesn't she?"

Shu hadn't expected a response, so it surprises him when Jiro's expression becomes distant as he says, "After I lost everything, she was the first person I let myself trust."

_And the ever-deepening mystery that is Jiro continues._ Shu can't quite figure the other boy out, and he won't deny being curious. But Jiro's business is his own; if he ever chooses to share some things about his past, Shu will listen if he wants to talk. If Jiro doesn't, he'll be fine with that as well.

Besides... He knows what Jiro's talking about, maybe better than anyone else. Ojisan had been the first person Shu let himself trust, too.

But all thoughts about Jiro's past and his own are forgotten when he sees what awaits them around the turn.

* * *

><p>Andropov spins around as he hears someone shout, "<em>Kluke<em>!_!_!"

Those two boys... One of them is the User of Blue Dragon.

He glances back around. Kluke is staring at the duo with shock and a deep relief; she's still clasping at the air, and he half-wonders if there's a _person_ there, but that would be impossible unless they were invisible... And beyond her is Rogi-sama, ready for battle.

Andropov has no other choice, then.

He allows himself to think, _I'm sorry,_ before bringing out Alfheim and yelling "Crystal Wall!"

A crystalline shield forms, protecting Kluke from Rogi-sama.

* * *

><p>Kluke gasps as the crystal materializes in front of her without warning, accidently bumping into Bouquet when she takes a step back. On the other side of the wall, she can hear Rogi shouting. "Andropov, what are you doing?<em>!<em>"

She goes numb.

They're going to kill him. They're going to kill Andropov, and it will be all her fault.

Something pulls at her hand - it must be Bouquet - yanking her backwards. Kluke staggers, feet slipping and sliding, and she gets dragged in the desired direction even though she barely does anything to contribute to it.

Then she sees him out of the corner of her eye, and she reaches out to grab his arm even admits Bouquet's cry of protest. "Andropov!" Her hand tightens, fisting the fabric of his shirt sleeve that she can hold into a crumpled ball. "You can't do this-!"

"I promised that I'd get you out of here," he smiles at her sadly, "and that's what I'm going to do."

Kluke shakes her head, feels her eyes stinging in a warning of the tears to come. "You can't. You _can't_. If you do this, they'll..." She can't even say the word; the thought of him dead is enough to make her want to curl into a ball and weep.

"I know." And there's a slight tremor in his voice, but determination as well. The kind of determination that not even fear can shake. "But... I won't allow you to be kept here like this, not if I can do something to stop it. I..." He breaks off, looks away. Finally, when he faces her again, his eyes are shining. "You have to go, Kluke. Get away from here. And..." She sees movement, and her eyes lower to see what it is - but her breath catches when she sees Andropov taking off one of his gloves and handing it to her. "It... would mean a lot if you would hold onto this for me, until we're together again." He presses it into her palm, folding her fingers over it. Her nerves jump, feeling his ungloved hand for the first time; the pads of his fingers are rough with calluses, but his palm is smooth against her knuckles. "Don't... Don't forget me, Kluke."

A tear slips from the corner of her eye. "Andropov-"

"Hurry! Take her and get out of here!" He's hollering over her shoulder, and she realizes that it must be directed at Shu and Jiro. "Go back out the way you came! Quickly, before it's too late-!" He breaks off with a shout as something crashes into the crystal; it must be Rogi.

"_Andropov_!" She screams his name as she's drawn back again, and though she fights against the arm that holds her, it does no good.

Andropov stares after her before turning around, setting his shoulders. Ready for what will come next.

Feeling her knees start to go weak, Kluke wishes she had just a _fraction_ of his strength.

* * *

><p>As soon as Bouquet gets close enough, Shu rushes forward and grabs Kluke by the arms. "Kluke... Are you okay?" There's something in his voice, in his eyes...<p>

Concern, yes. But... There's more to it than that. It goes _deeper_ than that.

Whatever it is, it makes her stomach feel like there are worms crawling around in it. Watching Shu look at Kluke like that... It makes Bouquet feel _funny_.

Not in a good way.

But it seems to fade a little as Kluke lifts her head, looking like she might cry at any moment. Then Bouquet just feels bad for her again and wants to find a way to make her smile, like she wants Shu to smile. "Shu..." The other girl sounds broken, and Bouquet _doesn't know how to make this right_.

There's a shout, likely from the boy Kluke had called Andropov, and a tremendous _crack_. Jiro's eyes widen, then narrow just as fast. "We need to move." With his next words, he gentles his tone. "Do you need help, Kluke?"

"N-no," she sounds so _miserable_; Bouquet winces sympathetically as she makes way for her clothes and bag, which Shu inadvertently dropped when he went for Kluke. "I can make it."

Bouquet hears a few startled noises as she pulls her dress over her head. _Well, it _does_ probably looks strange to everyone else._ Afterwards, she straps on her shoes, and at last turns herself visible with a puff of pink smoke. She shakes off the invisibility, missing it already and sanctuary it offers her.

She will probably never be able to explain it to anyone else, to those who are not of Ra, what it's like to turn invisible. She'll never be able to make them _understand_.

It is a lonely thought.

But now is not the time for melancholy sentiments - they have Kluke, and now it's time to get out.

The four of them hurry down the corridor, and even amidst Bouquet's tripping and Kluke's constant glances behind them (for Andropov, maybe?), they make it back to Zola in a reasonable amount of time.

When they arrive, she is still locked in combat with the same two Shadow Users. However, the woman seems injured - her Shadow is unsummoned, and she leans against the wall as she clutches her arm. Bouquet hears the man speaking to Zola in low, dangerous tones, "Now you're going to pay, _Miss Zola_..."

Shu moves _fast_, rushing forward - Jiro catches Kluke as she loses her balance - bringing out Blue Dragon and striking in what seems like a single movement. "_Rusty Nail_!"

"As soon as we get out of here, we're working on your attack names, Shu!" Jiro quips, his wit sharper and brighter. Personally, Bouquet thinks it's because Kluke is with them again, even though the only thing that the other girl has done is stare off into the distance and look sad (_what do I do, what do I do, how do I make this better_).

Shu shoots a withering glare over his shoulder. "I'll remember that the next time in your mortal peril."

Jiro lets out a single laugh. "It'll be the other way around, most likely!"

The only response Shu gives is to sputter and curse before spinning to attack the enemy Shadow User again.

Bouquet follows Jiro as he brings Kluke with him, heading straight for Zola. The three of them duck when the battle between the green Shadow and Blue Dragon gets a little too close for comfort, but they manage to reach her untouched. "Zola, we need to get out of here," Jiro keeps his voice quiet, presumably not to alert the man fighting Shu to the situation. "General Rogi is right behind us. We have to leave _now_."

"Understood. Head for the hole; Shu and I will meet you there." She leaps towards the fray with a shout, "Ray Stinger!"

A cloud of smoke erupts from where the attack lands. She hears someone who sounds like Shu say "_Ow_," before Zola emerges from the gray fog with him in hand.

Shu is thrown at her by Zola; Bouquet yelps as her nose bumps into his chest, blushing slightly at the accidental closeness. She hears the older woman shout, "Shu, take Bouquet and Kluke on Blue Dragon! Jiro, you're with me!" With that, she takes Jiro by the arm and jumps out into the sky, Killer Bat sliding underneath them before they can plummet back towards the earth.

Bouquet swallows. Darn it, but it's a _long_ way down.

Blue Dragon snorts above them. "Somehow I don't think you'll mind this at all."

"Shut _up_." Shu looks frustrated and embarrassed for a reason she can't fathom. Kluke coughs delicately into her hand, avoiding looking at anyone. Bouquet doesn't understand why either of them are acting like this. "Come on." But as Shu gently cradles her elbow, it doesn't seem to matter anymore.

And then they're on Blue Dragon's back, out in the middle of the air among the clouds.

Bouquet bites down on the shriek trying to claw its way out of her throat.

She tries to distract herself, pressing her forehead against the planes of his back. He feels warm and solid, sure and strong. Bouquet thinks she can hear and feel his heart beating, a steady and reassuring rhythm that lulls her until she starts to calm down.

When she finally lifts up her head, Killer Bat is a dot in the distance, but she can see that the Rosenkreuz battleships are gone.

They've gotten away.

Excited, she turns to Kluke - but the other girl is only staring down at something she's holding in her hand. She looks like the most devastated person that Bouquet has ever seen.

Upon closer inspection, she sees that the object is a blue glove that's awfully similar to the ones that Andropov boy had been wearing. Before she can think twice about it, the words slip out, "What is it?" And really, it's a ridiculous thing to ask, even by accident, because it's _obvious_ what it is.

But maybe what she really meant was, _why do you have it?_

There is a pause so long that Bouquet doesn't think she'll say anything at all. And then, without looking up, Kluke softly whispers, "A promise." Her hand closes tightly around the glove. "Only a promise."

* * *

><p><strong>Apologies for this chapter being shorter than the others. The next one will be even worse in that regard.<strong>

**I wonder if I need to add "mild Cynthia x Jiro" as a pairing? It never occurred to me until now.**


	10. Chapter Ten

**[November 29th – November 30th]**

* * *

><p>The woman arrives with what must be the worst thunderstorm of the season.<p>

Well, that's one mark against her in his book already. Anyone with good manners doesn't just show up on _their_ doorstep in the middle of the night during a deluge accompanied by the occasional rumble of thunder. It just _isn't done_.

"At ease, Furioso." Vermillion whispers to him on the aside, and he has to stomp down on his temper. The Chevalier Chief is always, _always_ calm. There are times that this is what Furioso appreciates most about his friend; other times, he almost hates him for it. He can't tell which one he's currently feeling.

She tips her wineglass, swirls around the liquid that pools at the bottom. Even now, she's still wearing that same smirk, the one that gives him the impression that she's laughing at the whole world.

And beside her, of course... there's _him_.

No, Furioso doesn't have a good feeling about this woman _at all_.

The door opens, and the woman brightens as she says, "Doctor Tarkovsky. It's been far too long."

Furioso turns in time to see their leader nod. "Delphinium." The Doctor pauses, gives her companion a long, careful look. "... Deathroy."

And then little creature cackles as it mimics the woman, "Too long! Too long!"

* * *

><p>The sun is rising.<p>

Shu stretches, working all of the kinks out of his muscles. He could really go for some training, a little bit of swordplay to get his day off to a good start, but he doesn't feel comfortable doing so yet. Not until they're sure that they've lost any Rosenkreuz units that might be tailing them.

He glances around. Zola is still sitting watch, eyes fixed on the direction they came from. Bouquet and Jiro are asleep, laid out flat on their bedrolls.

And Kluke...

Kluke sits on a slab of rock a little ways off, head tilted toward the changing colors of dawn.

Swallowing, he spends a moment deciding what to do. And then he takes a deep breath before walking up and taking a seat on a stone adjacent to hers.

She doesn't even budge.

His hands clench on the tops of his knees. This might be a little harder than he thought.

Eventually, Shu clears his throat and speaks. "You okay, Kluke?"

She stays silent.

He glances at her out of the corner of his eyes. _God, why is this so _hard_?_ Shu used to know her better than he knew himself. And now... He keeps trying to figure her out, searching desperately for any sign of the girl he once knew. But everything is _different_ now - she doesn't respond the same way to things, all of the little clues he used to be able to detect in her body language have changed, and even her personality doesn't seem the same anymore. It's like he has to get to know Kluke all over again.

The thought is not a pleasant one.

"Hey," he starts lightly, and even Shu doesn't know what he's trying to say, "do you remember that time when I tried to make the cake for our birthday?"

But whatever he's trying to say is _working_, because Kluke is actually _looking_ at him.

"And... And like the little idiot I was, I _tripped_," he chuckles at his own stupidity, "and I dropped the cake. And then I started bawling like a baby. Somehow I'd gotten it into my head that the birthday cake was something 'sacred', that the success of the ones that came next depended on the previous ones, and by destroying one I'd ruined all of them for us forever. But you," his voice warms with the memory, "all you did was just reach down to hug me and whisper in me ear that it was okay, we had each other, so we didn't need a cake or presents to make our birthday perfect."

And then she _smiles_, and it'spained but it's _real_.

"Then there was that time," he continues, eager, wanting to say just the right thing to keep her smiling, "during the rainy season; that day you wanted to go out and give your motorbike a test drive to see how well that part worked, but Ojiichan wouldn't let you because it was pouring outside. And you looked so sad, so I snuck out and picked some wildflowers, those purple ones you really like. And Ojiichan was _so mad_ when I came back, and he was shouting about me getting water all over the floor, and I yelped because he came up _behind_ me-"

Kluke bursts out _laughing_. "You- you should have seen your _face_-" She grabs her stomach, but she can't hold it in. "Your eyes were _huge_, and you were soaking wet, and you looked _ridiculous_!"

And then Shu starts laughing, too.

* * *

><p>Jiro is still rubbing the sleep from his eyes when Zola sits them all down to discuss what they're going to do next.<p>

"Can I say something first, Zola?" Kluke says, continuing when the older woman nods. "Whatever we do, at some point I'd like to return to my clinic and the village nearby. I... still haven't decided what I'm going to do yet," in what seems like an almost unconscious movement, she glances at Shu, "but I want to let them know that I got away safely."

The thought of it makes his stomach drop.

_Jina._

If they go with Kluke, he and his sister will see each other for sure; he doubts that either of them have changed enough in the past two and a half years (or so) that they won't be able to recognize each other. And what will he do then? What will he say to her? Should he take over as her guardian? Will she want him to? What about Zola and Kluke, Shu and Bouquet?

He squeezes his eyes shut, wishing he could push all of these painful thoughts out of his head.

"That would be fine, Kluke," Zola's voice snaps him out of it. "However, there's something we need to do first, if you don't mind."

This peaks his curiosity. He's been around Zola long enough to know that she's about to say something else, and she almost _never_ states what their next objective is.

"The reason I went to Heliwood was to find Shu." It's a morning of firsts, it seems, because she never says what her reasons are for anything either. "I did this in order to see if he was one of the Warriors of Light, which was confirmed when he summoned Blue Dragon." She looks at each of them once before saying, "But now, we need to search for the next of the Seven."

* * *

><p>Dinnertime. Such a quite, mundane thing. These people have it <em>all the time<em>, _everyday_. Like it's _nothing_.

It's astonishing. It's _extraordinary_.

And for him, it's tragic.

But they're brimming with happiness. They don't need to hear about the dark things that stalk his steps and haunt his dreams.

"Noi, can you pass me the potatoes, maro?"

He does so, receiving a word of thanks and the accompanying "maro" that ends each of the Devee boy's sentences.

_By the Ancestors. All of them are so carefree!_

Noi doesn't think he's _ever_ had that liberty.

Marumaro talks with him about his usual repertoire for conversation - girls, breasts, panties, fishing, girls, swimming, breasts, the injustice of chores, panties, how good the food is, and _girls_ - neatly dodging Ma's ladle when something is brought up that offends.

(He shouldn't be calling her _Ma_, it doesn't matter if he never says it _out loud_, what is _wrong_ with him, Rudolf is going to _kill_ him, he's going to kill him and _everyone else_ for this.)

Ma - _Marumaro's mother_, lays a hand on his arm. "Come now, Noi, you should eat something, ma. You're too thin, you need more food in you, ma!"

"Yes, ma'am." Noi ducks his head bashfully, feeling like something is lost when she lets go, no matter how much he tells himself not to.

He looks around at the Devee surrounding him.

Is this what having a family is like?

Is this what having a mother feels like?

It is the last thought, though, that causes a twinge in his chest, a mixture of guilt and longing, and he can't stop his involuntary glance at Marumaro.

... Is this what having a big brother (_actually around_) feels like?

His appetite is lost. He waits for the opportune moment that he's sure will come - Ma (_Marumaro's mother, by the Ancestors, you idiot_) scolds Marumaro for talking about underwear again, and Noi slips away from the dinner table.

The night is chilly in Lago Village, but he doesn't mind. He's become used to it.

He shouldn't have.

Four months. It's been four months since he wound up here, fleeing from Michael. He knows it's only a matter of time before his former ally comes after him. It's a miracle that he's made it this long, really.

Noi is living on borrowed time.

He should get out of Lago, away from Marumaro and his family, before it's too late. The longer he stays, the longer they will be in danger.

The Middle Moon is waxing tonight. He shuts his eyes against their stinging.

Noi just never expected this to _hurt_ so much.

(Is this what being loved feels like?)

"Noi? What are you doing out here, maro?" Marumaro didn't add a "maro" after his name. He must be either distracted or concerned.

"Nothing," he says quickly. Hopefully not too quickly. "Just thinking, is all. Don't worry about it."

"You've been acting funny lately, maro." The Devee boy tilts his head to the side, questioning. "What's going on with you, maro?"

He intends to deflect, to brush it off as nothing again, but he ends up saying something else instead. "...I'll have to leave one day, Marumaro." He didn't want to do it like this. If he's being honest with himself, though, he doesn't _want_ to do it at all. "I can't stay here forever." If it was his choice, he'd stay here until the day he dies.

...Which wouldn't be long, really. He's probably got two months left at the _most_, and that's if he's really careful.

"Wh-what are you talking about, maro?" Marumaro staggers backwards. Noi holds back a small; he's so dramatic all the time, always gesturing wildly in way or another, like every little thing is such a big deal. He probably has reasonable cause right now, though. "Noi, why are you saying things like that, maro?"

He thinks about sharing some of it with Marumaro, telling him what's _really_ going on, but all Noi does is sigh and say, "Don't worry about it, Marumaro. Let's just go back inside."

* * *

><p>His wrists are chafing under the metal cuffs. He wishes he could rub them, try to soothe the burn.<p>

They let him live. Andropov hadn't been expecting that.

The worse part of it had been looking Rogi-sama in the face afterwards. He'd expected anger, undiluted fury, but what he had received had been far, far worse.

Disappointment.

And maybe even a little sadness.

Andropov tries not to think about that too much.

But what's _really_ infuriating is the fact that they're going to toss him in with the Resistance prisoners. Who do they think they are, tossing him in with these lowlifes?

Well... He _did_ sort of betray Rosenkreuz, so he supposes that now he _belongs_ with the likes of them.

It still goes against all of his training, though.

The guards that had been under not even three days ago now nudge him forward with their guns, into the dark metal room that serves as a holding cell until they make the proper transfer in either an outpost or a ship with the right accommodations. They slips off the cuffs, a merciful relief, and then the door is sliding shut quickly, so that he can't get out.

He can feel the anti-Shadow field. And he may not be a natural Shadow User, but the separation from Alfheim is like being _ripped apart_. Andropov knows it will get better with time, but it's very hard to remember that right now while it feels like he's being torn limb from limb.

Looking around the room, he tries to distract himself from the agony within. The Resistance members regard him with suspicion, instantly knowing that he is not one of theirs, but unable to quite place who he is. He heads for the corner at the back of the room, hoping that if he keeps to himself they won't bother him at all.

But a face among the crowd stops him dead in his tracks, and even as he says the name, Andropov can scarcely believe it. "_Lieutenant Dragnov_?"

"Sergey," the older man looks tired, but not necessarily unhappy to see him. "It's been a while."

* * *

><p>Jiro is packing up the camp supplies when he hears Shu clear his throat and say, "Hey, Jiro... Have you ever... you know, <em>liked<em> somebody?"

He drops the supplies, the majority - or, at least, all of the _heavy_ parts - landing directly on his foot. He stumbles backwards with a muffled curse.

Shu, however, seems oblivious to this. Jiro is annoyed by this, even though he'd been trying to not draw any attention to this little slipup. "And not just as... as a friend. More than that, I mean."

And since Jiro doesn't think the response, _Why, yes, I have fallen head over heels for you childhood friend. So who do you like?,_ will go over particularly well, he instead chooses to say, "Yes. I have." He tries to put as much emphasis as possible on the word "have". It's not a complete lie; though they're all dead by now (unless Jina wasn't the only one to escape), Kluke is hardly the first girl he's ever had a crush on.

(Well, at least he's _admitting_ it to himself now. That's something, isn't it?)

"How..." Shu swallows so loudly he can hear it. It's kind of interesting to see him so awkward like this, since the other boy always seems so sure. "How do you know if you have a crush on someone?"

"I think it's a little different for everyone," Jiro shrugs, trying to seem nonchalant. Trying not to let onto the fact that he's in the _middle_ of one _right now_, and the object of his affections is only _spare feet away from them_. (She and Bouquet are talking with Zola, yes, but it's the principle of the thing!) "For me, though... My heart would pound when they said my name. I'd feel a shiver, all the way down to my toes, if their hand brush mine. And... And I was always happy whenever they were around, happy in a way that no one else could make me." He shuts his eyes, but there is no darkness or the color of his eyelids - there is only Kluke.

"...I see." Shu nods, and it seems like he understands. "Thank you, Jiro."

"No problem." Jiro bends down to pick up what he dropped, wondering about the exchange.

Well. It seems like things are finally starting to get _interesting_ around here.

* * *

><p>"Noi, come on, wake up, maro!"<p>

Noi moans into his pillow.

"You can't sleep _all day_, maro! C'mon, it's time to get up, maro!"

"Too early." He turns, burrowing further into the blankets.

"_Not_ too early, maro! Ma is almost done with breakfast and we're supposed to play hide and seek afterwards, maro!"

Oh, _Ancestors_, that's _right_. Ugh. Why'd he make that promise? With a groan, he untangles himself from the bed sheets. He doesn't even get the chance to say anything before Marumaro has him by the wrist and he's being dragged downstairs.

The smell of pancakes hits his nose before they've even entered the room. Ma (_Marumaro's mother_) sure does know the way to his heart.

They're light and fluffy and _sweet_. It's perfect, wonderfully perfect.

More than he could ever ask for.

He follows Marumaro, Maruponi, and Marutora as they scramble outside, albeit at a much more subdued pace. He'll play this "hide and seek", if only to fulfill his promise to the little ones, but he just doesn't have the enthusiasm that had been present when he said that he'd play with them.

Noi is _depressed_, he realizes.

Fagino would laugh at him. Superior Lifeforms don't get _depressed_. They don't feel _anything_.

Emotions get in the way of everything.

But it's so hard to remember this, when he's _never_ been capable of doing that, especially now that he's surrounded by a family - the whole tribe, even - that wears their heart on their sleeve.

The children giggle and squeal as they enter the caves; little flashes of their colorful clothing dart under the torches dotted throughout the area. Marumaro waves him forward as he joins them.

Noi has to leave soon. And he _will_.

But not today.

With a slight smirk, he follows the sound of Marumaro's whooping laughter.

* * *

><p>It's a bit surreal being with the Lieutenant again. Andropov never looked up to him the way he had with Rogi-sama, but Dragnov had been a close mentor to him nonetheless.<p>

"I'm glad you're alive, Lieutenant," he sighs, leaning back against the wall. It's cold, even through the material of his shirt, but his body is too tired to be denied something to lean against. "I was told you were dead."

"I can't say I'm surprised to hear that," Dragnov's smirk is grim. "And there probably isn't much point in calling me 'lieutenant' now. In the Resistance, I'm a captain now, actually."

_Resistance_? Dragnov, _the_ Dragnov of Good Luck, is a part of the _Resistance_?

He wants to ask about it. But he holds himself back.

"I'm not sure I can think of you as anything _other_ than Lieutenant." His returning grin is somewhat sheepish. "Not to be disrespectful, but... I've just known you that way for so long that it seems weird to call you anything else."

But Dragnov just laughs, not taking offense at all, rubbing his head. Andropov knows his hair must be in disarray now, but he can't really bring himself to care.

He'd missed this about Dragnov. So few others in the army had ever been able to laugh so easily. And the Lieutenant has been through worst than most.

Dragnov's eyes shift, becomes less jovial and more serious. The change makes Andropov swallow. "So, Sergey..." He's the only one beside Rogi-sama that ever calls him "Sergey", too. Maybe the others don't even know his first name. The thought bothers him, though he can't quite say why. "How exactly did you end up in this place?"

He'd known the question was coming, but the answer is still like a hard blow to the stomach. He's a traitor. A deserter. "I went against orders." Andropov doesn't really want to talk about it, but it's not like it matters anymore. After all, they can't incriminate him anymore than they already have. "There was this girl, and I liked her. A lot. And then we were supposed to capture her, Schneider and I, and we did... But... I helped her escape." He clutches at his arms. "There was no telling what would happen to her, and I... I refused to leave her to that fate, whatever it might have been."

Bracing himself, he waits for Dragnov to scold him, reprimand him, criticize him. Just like he deserves. The Lieutenant knows better than anyone that you don't go against orders.

But all that he says is, "You did the right thing, Sergey."

"I- I _what_?"

"I had to make a choice, once, between right and wrong. There was a little boy that Grand Kingdom wanted brought in. I knew what they were doing to the children that they caught, experiments of various kinds, some to the point that the children would hope for death. And I refused to subject that little boy to such a destiny. So I fought. I saved him and I ran. I left Grand Kingdom and joined the Resistance."

"Lieutenant..." Andropov doesn't even know what to say.

Dragnov rests a hand on his shoulder, and both the touch and his words are a reassurance that Andropov has desperately needed. "Sometimes being a good solider is not the same as being a good person. And it is unfortunate, Sergey, but sometimes we have no other option but to choose between them."

* * *

><p>They're heading to Lago Village. At least... That's what she thinks Zola called it.<p>

She tries to focus on their destination, and less on what she's seeing.

Shu leans towards her (_why is he getting so close?_), his hand on her arm (_why does he always touch her so much?_), speaking too low for Kluke to hear, eyes shining (_why does he have to keep looking at her like that?_), and Bouquet laughs, high and tinkling like bells.

Why does it bother her so much?

She rubs her arms, feeling chilled even though the sun is warm.

Bouquet really is very pretty.

The thought stings.

She feels like she's just gotten Shu back. And for someone else to hold his attention...

Kluke shuts her eyes. She doesn't _want_ to be jealous. She _doesn't_! And especially not of _Bouquet_, so sweet and innocent that she acts like she's half her age sometimes.

It feels wrong to have these sorts of feelings.

She's startled by a hand on her shoulder. "You alright?" Jiro's tone is warm and strong.

Kluke doesn't feel so bad now.

She nods a little in answer. He responds with, "Kluke... If you ever want to talk about something, I'll be there to listen. You know that, right?"

"I know." She touches his hand with her own, smiling. "Thank you."

Jiro chuckles a little. "I haven't done anything yet."

"You have." She looks up at him fully. "You always see to be there for me when I need it."

And it's odd, but he stops in his tracks and _blushes_, of all things. _Now, why would he do that?_ "Kluke, I..."

"Hm?" Kluke pauses her steps as well, turning to face him. "What is it, Jiro?"

"I... I just..." He shakes his head. "Never mind. Don't worry about it." Jiro dashes forward, and she gasps as he takes her hand. "Come on; let's catch up with each other."

She's breathless as he runs her past Shu and Bouquet, past Zola, and it's so exhilarating, fills her with so much joy, that Kluke can't help but throw back her head and laugh.

The wind pulls and tugs at her hair like an insistent child. Her hand is warm inside of Jiro's grasp.

They're off to a promising start.

It will be a good journey, she thinks.

* * *

><p><strong>It took a whole month to get here. It was worth every step of the way.<strong>

**I've been waiting to write these scenes with Noi ever since I was sure he was going to be in this. It was great to finally work on them.**

**And if I can get the time, I am **_**so**_** doing NaNoWriMo again next year – at the rate I've been going, it'll be the only way I can get anything done anymore.**


End file.
